One of the first in a long line of world famous fighter aircraft, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 was a direct descendant of the MiG-1 which first flew in early 1940. The MiG-3 entered service shortly after the war began but was plagued by difficult handling, poor armament, and an over-enlarged engine which provided poor pilot visibility. Because of these difficulties, the MiG-3 was hard pressed against German Bf 109s and Fw 190s and was soon withdrawn to secondary duties such as armed reconnaissance and close support in the face of newer and better models like the La-5 and Yak-3. These problems notwithstanding, the MiG-3 featured a top speed which was miles ahead of any other Soviet fighter of its time, filling an important void during the early phases of the campaign and marking the beginning of the family of MiG fighters which were to became synonymous with Soviet air power.

The I-61 prototype first flew on 5 April1940 with an AM-35 inline engine which was then used with the initial production MiG-1 which saw service in limited numbers. The MiG-1 served as the basis of the MiG-3 which featured an uprated engine which was moved slightly forward but not enough give satisfactory visibility. Additional improvements included increased fuel capacity, extra armament and armor, and the ability to carry underwing bombs. Further development led to the MiG-5 and the MiG-7 high-altitude fighter with a pressurized cockpit but neither advanced from the prototype stage.