The heavy interceptor of the CIS Aerospace and Orbital Defense Forces, the MiG-231 is intended to act as a command-and-control craft in addition to employing its own formidable weapons load. One MiG-231 squadron is typically assigned to a geographically-distributed Interceptor Regiment of a half-dozen squadrons. A single MiG-231 pair usually controls an element of five lighter Su-77 or MiG-41 interceptors.