In 2045, the Soviet Air Force's fleet of MiG-15 fighters was nearing its hundredth year in service. Despite countless rebuilds and modifications, the Kremlin feared that their aerial capabilities were being surpassed by the United States Air Force and PLAAF. In June of that year, the project that would eventually become the MiG-3000 was initiated, with test flights being made at top-secret airfields in the Caucasus. In 2050, the MiG-3000 entered service, being deployed to the Central Asian Soviet Republics in response to the European-Middle Eastern conflict.