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Mig 27

2009-06-25T00:02:00.000-07:00

The Mikoyan MiG-27 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-27) (NATO reporting name "Flogger-D/J") is a ground-attack aircraft, originally built by the Mikoyan design bureau in the Soviet Union and later license-produced in India by Hindustan Aeronautics as the Bahadur ("Valiant"). It is based on the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 fighter aircraft, but optimized for the air-to-ground role. However unlike the Mig-23, the Mig-27 did not see widespread usage outside Russia as most countries opted for the MiG-23BN and Sukhoi Su-25 instead. It currently only remains in service with the Indian and Sri Lankan Air Forces in the ground attack role. All Russian and Ukrainian examples have now been retired.

Design and development

The MiG-27 shares the basic airframe of the MiG-23, but with the revised nose — nicknamed "Utkonos" ("platypus") in Russian service — introduced on the MiG-23B without radar in favor of a downward-sloping profile for improved pilot visibility a laser rangefinder and marked-target seeker. Among the tester pilots it was also called "Balkon" ("Balcony") because of the increased frontal view from the cockpit. Additional cockpit armor is installed, along with a totally new nav/attack system. Because the MiG-27 is intended to fly most of its missions at low altitude, the MiG-23's variable intake ramps and exhaust nozzles were deleted in favor of a simpler, fixed configuration, reducing weight and maintenance requirement. The aircraft also has larger, heavy-duty landing gear to facilitate operation from poorer-quality airfields.

Operational history

Sri Lanka

MiG-27 aircraft entered service with the Sri Lanka Air Force in 2000. Since then, they have seen regular service, bombing strategic targets and providing close air support. In August 2000, a MiG-27 crashed near the Colombo international airport, killing its Ukrainian pilot. In July 2001, a second MiG-27 was destroyed on the ground during an assault to the same air force base by the LTTE. Another MiG-27 crashed into the sea near the airport in June 2004[2].

India

On 27 May 1999, during the Kargil War, one Indian MiG-27 was lost together with a MiG-21 while supporting Indian ground offensive in Kashmir region. Both pilots ejected and one of them, Flight Lieutenant K.Nachiketa was later captured by Pakistani forces and the other one Sqn. Ldr. Ajay Ahuja is believed to have ejected safely, but was subsequently killed in a shootout. [3] It was reported that the MiG-27 suffered an engine flame out while operating at high altitude, while the MiG-21 was confirmed shot down by a MANPADS

Variants

Flogger-D

* MiG-27. This was the first MiG-27, and it was the first in the Flogger family to have a canopy without the central frame, suggesting that the ejection seat was designed to directly break through the transparency. The dielectric head above the pylon on the MiG-23 was used on the MiG-27 to house electro-optical and radio-frequency gear instead. It was armed with a Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-23M Gatling gun.
* MiG-27D. The nuclear strike variant of MiG-27, with a PSBN-6S navigation/attack system specially designed for the mission. 560 MiG-27D were built from 1973 - 1977 and they were on permanent stand-by alert basis like the FB-111A of the United States Air Force.

Flogger-J

* MiG-27M. This model was an upgrade of the 'Flogger-D', with the electro-optical and radio-frequency heads above the glove pylons deleted. It was first armed with the GSh-6-23M Gatling gun, but this was later replaced by a new 30 mm GSh-6-30 six-barrel cannon with 260 rounds of ammunition in a fuselage gondola. It also received much-improved electronic countermeasure (ECM) systems, and a new PrNK-23K nav/attack system providing automatic flight control, gun firing, and weapons release. However, this modification was not very successful because of the heavy recoil from the new cannon, and bursts longer than two or three seconds often led to permanent damage of the airframe. Test pilot V. N.Kondaurov described the first firing of the GSh-6-30А: "As I imposed the central mark on the air target and pressed the trigger to shoot, I heard such noise that I involuntarily drew my hand aside. The whole plane began to vibrate from the shooting and had almost stopped from the strong recoil of the gun. The pilotless target, which was just making a turn ahead of me, was literally disintegrating into pieces. I have hardly come to my senses from unexpectedness and admiration: This is a calibre! Such a beast! If you hit something — it will not be little [damaged]." A total of 150 MiG-27M were built from 1978 to 1983. Currently in service with the Sri Lankan Air Force.

* MiG-27L. This was an export variant of the MiG-27M provided in 1986 to India in knock-down kits for license-assembly. Same as MiG-27M except the undernose fairing for the infra-red search and track (IRST) sensor has a single window instead of several like the one on the original MiG-27M. A total of 130 were assembled by India.

* MiG-27H. This was a 1988 indigenous Indian upgrade of its license-assembled MiG-27L with French avionics, which provides the same level of performance but with much reduced size and weight.The capabilities of the aircraft are being enhanced by the incorporation of modern avionics systems consisting primarily of two Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) Mission and Display Processor (MDP), Sextant Ring Laser Gyros (RLG INSI), combined GPS/GLANOSS navigation, HUD with UFCP, Digital Map Generator (DMG), jam-resistant Secured Communication, stand-by UHF communication, data link and a comprehensive Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite. A mission planning and retrieval facility, VTR and HUD Camera will also be fitted. The aircraft will retain stand-by (conventional) instrumentation, including artificial horizon, altimeter and airspeed indicator, to cater for the failure of HUD and the MFDs.The MiG-27s are also being endowed with French Agave radar or the Russian Komar radar. The installation of the radar would give the MiG-27s anti-ship and some air-to-air capability. It is expected that at least 140 of the 180 aircraft converted from MiG-27MLs.

Flogger-J2

* MiG-27K. The MiG-27K was the final Soviet version, which added a laser designator and compatibility with TV-guided electro-optical weapons. Originally armed with the GSh-6-23M gun, but this was soon replaced with the GSh-6-30 cannon. Around 200 were built.

Operators

Current operators

Operators of the MiG-27 in bright red (former operators in dark red).

Indian MiG-27 & USAF F-15.

Cuba

Cuban Air Force

India

Indian Air Force : Over 100 in service with the Indian Air Force.

Iran

Iranian Air Force

Kazakhstan

Kazakh Air Force: Over 120 in service (in all variants of Flogger-D and Flogger-J)

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Air Force : 7 in service with the Sri Lanka Air Force

Former operators

Russia

Russian Air Force retired their aircraft from front line use, Still used in reserve and in storage.

Ukraine

Ukrainian Air Force, retired.

Soviet Union

Soviet Air Force passed their aircraft to successor states.

Specifications (MiG-27K)

General characteristics

Crew: One
Length: 17.1 m (56 ft)
Wingspan: * Spread: 13.8 m (45 ft 3 in)
Swept: 7.4 m (24 ft 3 in)
Height: 5 m (16 ft 5 in)
Wing area: * Spread: 37.35 m² (402.0 ft²)
Swept: 34.16 m² (367.7 ft²)
Empty weight: 11,908 kg (26,252 lb)
Loaded weight: 18,100 kg (39,900 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 20,670 kg (45,570 lb)
Powerplant: 1× Khatchaturov R-29-300 afterburning turbojet
- Dry thrust: 81 kN dry (18,300 lbf)
- Thrust with afterburner: 123 kN (27,600 lbf)

Performance

Maximum speed:
- Sea level: Mach 1.10 (1,350 km/h, 839 mph)
- at altitude: Mach 1.77 (1,885 km/h at 8,000 m, 1,170 mph at 26,000 ft
Range: 780 km (480 mi) combat, 2,500 km (1,550 mi) ferry
Service ceiling: 14,000 m (45,900 ft)
Rate of climb: 200 m/s (39,400 ft/min)
Wing loading: 605 kg/m² (123 lb/ft²)
Thrust/weight: 0.62

Armament

1x GSh-6-30 30 mm cannon with 260-300 rounds
One centerline, four fuselage, and two wing glove pylons for a total of 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of stores, including general-purpose bombs, rocket pods, SPPU-22 and SPPU-6 gun pods, and various guided air-to-surface missiles.

Mig 25

2009-06-24T23:56:00.000-07:00

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 (Russian: МиГ-25) (NATO reporting name "Foxbat") is a high-supersonic interceptor and reconnaissance/bomber aircraft designed by the Soviet Union's Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau. First flown as a prototype in 1964, it entered service in 1970. With a top speed of Mach 3.2, a powerful radar and four air-to-air missiles, the MiG-25 worried Western observers and prompted development of the F-15 Eagle.

The aircraft's true capabilities were not revealed to the west until 1976 when Viktor Belenko, a Soviet MiG-25 pilot, defected to the United States via Japan. Subsequent analysis revealed a simple-yet-functional design with vacuum-tube electronics, two massive turbojet engines, and sparing use of advanced materials such as titanium. The MiG-25 series had a production run of 1,190 aircraft. The MiG-25 flew with a number of Soviet allies and former Soviet republics and it remains in limited service in Russia and several other nations.

Development

Background

Overflights by American U-2s in the late 1950s revealed a need for higher altitude interceptor aircraft. In 1960, Soviet intelligence learned of the US's development of the high altitude, Mach 3 A-12 reconnaissance aircraft. A high altitude interceptor with high speed would also be needed to defend against the Mach 3 B-70 bomber then under development. A variety of roles were considered for the prospective aircraft, including cruise missile carriers and even a small five to seven-passenger supersonic transport, but the main objective was a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft and heavy interceptor. The Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB accepted the assignment effective 10 March 1961, carrying the bureau designation "Ye-155" (or "Е-155").

Aircraft design phase

Because of the thermal stresses incurred in flight above Mach 2, Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB constructed the MiG-25 largely from nickel alloy ("Inconel"), but used a small amount of titanium and aluminum alloys in areas particularly susceptible to high aerodynamic drag. The steel components of the MiG-25 were formed by a combination of spot-welding, automatic machine welding and hand arc welding methods. Initially there was concern that jolts from landing would cause the metal welds to crack but this proved not to be the case, and any cracks that did develop in service were easily welded in the field.

Ye-155K3 Reconnaissance prototype (1964)

The first prototype was a reconnaissance variant, designated "Ye-155-R1", and made its first flight on 6 March 1964. The first flight of the interceptor prototype, "Ye-155-P1", took place on 9 September 1964. Development, which represented a major step forward in Soviet aerodynamics, engineering and metallurgy, took several more years to complete. In the meantime several prototypes, under the cover designation "Ye-266" (or "Е-266"), made a series of record-setting flights in 1965, 1966, and 1967.

Series production of the two initial variants, designated MiG-25P ('Foxbat-A') (interceptor) and MiG-25R ('Foxbat-B') (reconnaissance), began in 1969. The MiG-25R entered Soviet Air Force (VVS) service almost immediately, but the service entry of the MiG-25P with the PVO was delayed until 1972. A non-combat trainer variant was also developed for each version, the MiG-25PU ('Foxbat-C') and MiG-25RU, respectively. The MiG-25R evolved several subsequent derivatives, including the MiG-25RB reconnaissance-bomber, the MiG-25RBS and MiG-25RBSh with side-looking airborne radar (SLAR), the MiG-25RBK and MiG-25RBF ELINT aircraft ('Foxbat-D'), and the MiG-25BM ('Foxbat-F') SEAD variant, carrying four Raduga Kh-58 (NATO reporting name AS-11 'Kilter') anti-radiation missiles.

Cameras of the MiG-25RB

The MiG-25 was capable a maximum speed of Mach 3.2 and a ceiling of 90,000 ft (27,000 m), although on Aug. 31, 1977, an E-266M, a specially modified Foxbat, flown by MiG OKB Chief Test Pilot Alexander Fedotov, set the recognized absolute altitude record for a jet aircraft under its own power, reaching 123,523.62 ft (37,650 m) at Podmoskovnoye, USSR in a brief zoom climb. The record is the only recognized absolute record not held by a pilot from the United States.

Although intended for intercepting or threatening high-altitude, high-speed aircraft the MiG-25's maneuverability, range, and close combat potential were extremely limited. Even its high speed was problematic: although sufficient thrust was available to reach Mach 3.2, a limit of Mach 2.8 had to be imposed as the turbines tended to overspeed and overheat at higher speeds, possibly damaging them beyond repair. Inaccurate intelligence analyses caused the West to initially believe the MiG-25 was an agile air-combat fighter rather than an interceptor. In response, the United States started a new program which resulted in the F-15 Eagle.

As the result of Belenko's defection and the compromise of the MiG-25P's radar and missile systems, beginning in 1978 the Soviets developed an advanced version, the MiG-25PD ('Foxbat-E'), with a new RP-25 Saphir look-down/shoot-down radar, infrared search and track (IRST) system, and more powerful engines. About 370 earlier MiG-25Ps were converted to this standard and redesignated MiG-25PDS.

Approximately 1,186 MiG-25s were produced by the time production ended in 1984, and the type was exported to Algeria, Bulgaria (3 MiG-25Rs and 1 MiG-25RUs until 1992), India (until 2006), Iraq, Libya, and Syria.

Design description

A true understanding of the strengths and failings of the MiG-25 by the West came on 6 September 1976, when a PVO pilot, Lt. Viktor Belenko, defected to the West, landing his MiG-25P at Hakodate Airport in Japan. It was carefully dismantled and analyzed by the Foreign Technology Division (now the National Air and Space Intelligence Center) of the United States Air Force, at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. After 67 days, the aircraft was returned to the Soviets in pieces. The analysis showed some surprising facts:

Belenko's particular aircraft was brand new, representing the very latest Soviet technology.

The aircraft was assembled very quickly, and was essentially built around its massive Tumansky R-15(B) turbojets.

Welding was done by hand and construction was relatively crude. As in many Soviet aircraft, rivet heads were left non-flush in areas that would not adversely affect aerodynamic drag.

The aircraft was built of a nickel alloy and not titanium as was assumed (though some titanium was used in heat-critical areas). The Inconel construction contributed to the craft's massive 64,000 lb (29,000 kg) unarmed weight.

The majority of the on-board avionics were based on vacuum-tube technology, not solid-state electronics. Seemingly obsolete, vacuum tubes were actually more tolerant of temperature extremes, thereby removing the need for providing complex environmental controls inside the avionics bays. In addition, the vacuum tubes were easy to replace in remote northern airfields where sophisticated transistor parts may not have been readily available. As with most Soviet aircraft, the MiG-25 was designed to be as rugged as possible. Also, the use of vacuum tubes makes the aircraft's systems more resistant to an electromagnetic pulse, for example after a nuclear blast.

Thanks to the use of vacuum tubes, the MiG-25P's original Smerch-A (Tornado, NATO reporting name 'Foxfire') radar had enormous power — about 600 kilowatts.

The airspeed indicator was redlined at Mach 2.8, with typical intercept speeds near Mach 2.5 in order to extend the service life of the engines. A MiG-25 was tracked flying over Sinai at Mach 3.2 in the early 1970s, but the flight had resulted in the destruction of its engines.

Maximum acceleration (g-load) rating was just 2.2 g (21.6 m/s²) with full fuel tanks, with an absolute limit of 4.5 g (44.1 m/s²). One MiG-25 withstood an inadvertent 11.5 g (112.8 m/s²) pull during low-altitude dogfight training, but the resulting deformation damaged the airframe beyond repair.

Combat radius was 186 miles (300 km), and maximum range on internal fuel (at subsonic speeds) was only 744 miles (1,200 km). In fact, Belenko had only just reached Japan without running out of fuel; without sufficient fuel for a carefully planned landing, he narrowly missed a commercial airliner taking off, and overran the available runway on landing.

Operational service

Before entering operational service, four MiG-25Rs were temporarily in service with Egyptian Air Force in 1971 under the cover designation of "X-500". All four had EAF markings. They flew over Sinai in pairs roughly 4 times. On 6 November 1971, an Egyptian MiG-25 flying at Mach 2.5 was met by Israeli F-4Es and fired upon unsuccessfully. The Israeli Air Force found it impossible to intercept them, even though Israeli intelligence generally knew when the overflights were scheduled. The MiG-25Rs went back home in 1972, though reconnaissance Foxbats were sent back to Egypt in October 1973, after the Yom Kippur War, and remained there into 1974. A MiG-25 was tracked flying over Sinai at Mach 3.2 during this period. The MiG-25 oversped its engines which led to their destruction. The Israeli Air Force did not have the capability to intercept MiG-25s until it received the F-15 Eagle.

Col. Aleksandr V. Drobyshevsky, confirmed that at least one Soviet pilot, in the USSR's MiG-25 "Foxbat" aircraft, flew recon missions from Egypt into Israel in 1967, just prior to the Six Day War.

The MiG-25 was in service with the Iraqi Air Force during the Iran–Iraq War, but its success against Iranian fighters is largely unknown. Research has shown that as many as sixteen were shot down by Iranian fighters during the period spanning 1978–88 though it is, of course, difficult to determine the validity of these claims. Nevertheless, other historians have offered at least some credential to these reports, citing evidence that Iranian F-14 Tomcats recorded eleven confirmed air-to-air kills of MiG-25s, mostly of the "RB" version, with all kills reportedly being made by the AIM-54 Phoenix.

During the Persian Gulf War, a US Navy F/A-18 piloted by Lt Cdr Scott Speicher was shot down on the first night of the war by air-to-air missile fired most likely by a MiG-25. The kill was reportedly made with a R-40DT missile fired from a MiG-25PDS flown by Lt. Zuhair Dawood of the 84th squadron of the IrAF.

In another incident, an Iraqi MiG-25PD, after eluding eight U.S. Air Force F-15s, fired three missiles at EF-111 Raven electronic warfare aircraft, forcing them to abort their mission. This may have led to the later loss of an F-15 to surface-to-air missiles, due to the lack of electronic jamming.

In yet another incident, two MiG-25s approached a pair of F-15s, fired missiles (which were evaded by the F-15s), and then outran the American fighters. Two more F-15s joined the pursuit, and a total of ten air-to-air missiles were fired at the MiG-25s, though none reached them. According to the same sources, at least one F-111 was also forced to abort its mission by a MiG-25 on the first 24 hours of hostilities, during an air raid over Tikrit.

Two MiG-25s were shot down by USAF F-15Cs during the Gulf War. After the war, in 1992, a U.S. F-16 downed a MiG-25 that violated the no-fly zone in southern Iraq.

In May 1997 an Indian Air Force MiG-25RB was detected flying faster than Mach 2 at least 65,000 ft,over Pakistani territory following a reconnaissance mission into Pakistan airspace, to make the point that the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) has no aircraft in its inventory which can come close to the cruising height of the MiG-25 (up to 74,000 feet). However, from one of PAF's Forward Operating Bases, radar traced the intruder and the F-16As scrambled. India denied the incident but Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Gohar Ayub Khan, believed that the Foxbat photographed strategic installations near the Capital, Islamabad.

On December 23, 2002, an Iraqi MiG-25 shot down a U.S. Air Force unmanned MQ-1 Predator drone, which was performing armed reconnaissance over Iraq. This was the first time in history that an aircraft and an unmanned drone had engaged in combat. Predators had been armed with AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles, and were being used to "bait" Iraqi fighter planes, then run. In this incident, the Predator did not run, but instead fired one of the Stingers, which missed, while the MiG's missile did not.

No Iraqi aircraft were used in the 2003 invasion, with most hidden or destroyed on the ground. In August 2003, several dozen Iraqi aircraft were discovered buried in the sand. That included two MiG-25s which were excavated and sent to WPAFB's Foreign Technology Division using a C-5B Galaxy. In December 2006, it was announced that one MiG-25 was being donated to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Dayton, Ohio.

Operators

Current Operators

Algeria
- Algerian Air Force - 11 are operational, including 5 MiG-25A, 3 MiG-25PD, and 3 MiG-25R models.
Armenia
- Armenian Air Force - 1 is maintained in operational condition.
Azerbaijan
- Azerbaijan Air Force - As many as 20 in service.
Russia
- Russian Air Force - 70 remain in service. They are a mix of 30 MiG-25 interceptors and 40 MiG-25RB Recon.
Syria
- Syrian Air Force - 30 remain in service, including 2 MiG-25Rs and a MiG-25U.^[30]

Former operators

Bulgaria
- Bulgarian Air Force - Three MiG-25RBT (#731, #736 and #754) and one MiG-25RU (#51) aircraft were delivered in 1982. On April 12 1984 #736 crashed near Balchik. The pilot ejected successfully. They were operated by 26th RAB at Dobrich until their withdrawal. In May 1991, the surviving MiG-25s were returned to the USSR in exchange for five MiG-23MLD.
India
- Indian Air Force - Retired from service in July 2006. The Trishul air-base in Bareilly had Foxbats capable of flying up to 80,000 feet

Iraqi MiG-25 found buried under the sand at Al Taqaddum Airbase, Iraq. 29 February 2004

Iraq
- Iraqi Air Force. 7 flown over to Iran in 1991, the rest were destroyed in the Gulf War and Operation Southern Watch or buried during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Some also may have been lost during the Iran–Iraq War.
Georgia
- Georgian Air Force
Kazakhstan
Libya
- Libyan Air Force
Soviet Union - The largest operator historically, Soviet aircraft were passed on to its successor states in 1991.
- Soviet Air Force
- Soviet Anti-Air Defence
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
- Ukrainian Air Force - Withdrawn from service.

Survivors

MiG-25RB (s/n 2505) is in the restoration facility at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. This aircraft was found in 2003 during the opening months of Operation Iraqi Freedom by American forces, buried in the sand near Al Taqaddum Airbase, about 250km west of Baghdad. The aircraft had been buried to prevent its destruction on the ground by coalition aircraft. When uncovered, the MiG-25RB was incomplete, as the wings could not be located. This aircraft was one of two MiG-25's transported by a C-5A Galaxy from Iraq to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for examination. It was donated to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in 2006. The museum's restoration staff is currently attempting to locate a set of wings to complete the aircraft for display.

Specifications (MiG-25P 'Foxbat-A')

Data from The Great Book of Fighters,^[31] International Directory of Military Aircraft^[32]

General characteristics

Crew: One
Length: 19.75 m (64 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 14.01 m (45 ft 11.5 in)
Height: 6.10 m (20 ft 0.25 in)
Wing area: 61.40 m² (660.93 ft²)
Empty weight: 20,000 kg (44,080 lb)
Loaded weight: 36,720 kg (80,952 lb)
Powerplant: 2× Tumansky R-15B-300 afterburning turbojets
- Dry thrust: 73.5 kN (16,524 lbf) each
- Thrust with afterburner: 100.1 kN (22,494 lbf) each

Performance

Maximum speed:
- High altitude: Mach 3.2^[3] (3,490 km/h, 2,170 mph); Mach 2.83 (3,090 km/h, 1,920 mph) continuous engine limit^[3]
- Low altitude: 1,200 km/h (650 knots, 740 mph)^[32]
Range: 1,730 km (1,075 mi) with internal fuel
Service ceiling: 20,700 m (with 4 missiles) (67,915 ft)
Wing loading: 598 kg/m² (122.5 lb/ft²)
Thrust/weight: 0.41
Time to altitude: 8.9 min to 20,000 m (65,615 ft)

Armament

2x radar-guided R-40R (AA-6 'Acrid') air-to-air missiles, and
2x infrared-guided R-40T missiles

Avionics

RP-25 Smerch radar
A RV-UM or a RV-4 radar altimeter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-25

X-2 LTH Makes Its Debut

2009-06-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

This is one product the Indian Air Force (IAF) could only, up till now, dream of having some day. Tentatively called the X-2 light tactical helicopter (LTH), this revolutionary helicopter’s full-scale mock-up was unveiled last month by Sikorsky during the Army Aviation Association of America symposium. Being developed as both an armed reconnaissance helicopter as well as a light combat helicopter, the high-speed X-2 LTH is likely to become available for export by 2017, with unmanned hot-and-high performance parameters, especially of the type that will come in extremely handy in high-altitude battlefields of the type prevailing in Afghanistan and northern India. The X-2 LTH will combine high cruising speed with flight agility and the ability to go from the hover to an astonishing 250 Knots and back without any rotary/fixed-wing mode changes. Sikorsky’s X-2 technology demonstrator—a modified Black Hawk— is due back in the air shortly after incorporating the definitive modifications to prepare for high-speed testing, which include connecting the rear-mounted pusher-prop, fairing over the rotor hubs, and making the landing gear retractable. Sikorsky expects the X-2 technology demonstrator to pass its 250 Knot speed target by the year’s end—which means that the results will be available in time for consideration by prospective launch customers like the IAF.

“These technologies can potentially bring new rotorcraft capabilities that, to date, have been unachievable by the industry,” says Sikorsky President Jeffrey P Pino. “In addition to doubling the cruise speed of helicopters, this technology can improve hot-and-high performance, manoeuvrability and low acoustic signature. The X-2 LTH concept demonstrates a way to package these capabilities into an airframe that is tailored to meet a range of military missions,” Pino explained. The X-2 LTH’s multi-mission capabilities will meet both regular US Army and future Joint Special Operations Command requirements in a variety of combat roles. It is for this reason that Sikorsky has invested through its in-house funds in the LTH concept to illustrate the company’s commitment to developing futuristic capabilities that are both achievable and affordable. Furthermore, the X-2’s technologies are scalable to a variety of military missions, including armed assault, armed reconnaissance, close air support and combat search-and-rescue, and unmanned applications. It may be recalled that Sikorsky had announced an initiative in June 2005 to develop an integrated suite of technologies called X-2 TECHNOLOGY. The technology demonstrator aircraft made its flight in August 2008. The demonstrator combines an integrated suite of technologies intended to advance the state-of-the-art, counter-rotating co-axial rotor helicopter. It is designed to demonstrate that a helicopter can cruise at 250 Knots, while retaining such desirable helicopter attributes as excellent low-speed handling, efficient hovering, auto-rotation safety, and a seamless and simple transition to high speed. Among the innovative technologies the X-2 LTH will incorporate are: digitised redundant fly-by-wire flight controls, counter-rotating rigid rotor blades, hub drag reduction, active vibration controls, and an integrated auxiliary propulsion system. The twin-engined LTH variant will be equipped with twin stub-wings for carrying air-to-air or air-to-ground weapons, and a chin-mounted multi-spectral optronic sensor turret. Interestingly, Russia’s Oboronprom United Industrial Corp too is developing similar solutions aimed at new-generation medium-lift helicopter designs, one of which is the Kamov Ka-92, which features twin contra-rotating main rotors and twin contra-rotating tail rotors.

http://officialsite.my/tempur/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=425&Itemid=2

Mig 23

2009-06-20T22:23:00.000-07:00

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-23; NATO reporting name: "Flogger") is a swing-wing fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau in the Soviet Union. It is considered to belong to the Soviet "Third Generation" aircraft category along with similar-aged Russian-produced fighters like the MiG-25 "Foxbat". It was the first Soviet fighter with a look-down/shoot-down radar and beyond visual range missiles, and the first MiG production fighter plane to have intakes at the sides of the fuselage. Production started in 1970 and reached large numbers with over 5,000 aircraft built. Today the MiG-23 remains in limited service with various export customers.

Design and development

MiG-23 on display at Le Bourget.

The MiG-23's predecessor, the MiG-21 (NATO reporting name 'Fishbed'), was fast and agile, but limited in its operational capabilities by its primitive radar, short range, and limited weapons load (restricted in some aircraft to a pair of short-range air-to-air missiles). The MiG-23 was to be a heavier, more powerful machine designed to remedy these deficiencies, and rival Western aircraft like the F-4 Phantom. The new fighter was to feature a totally new S-23 sensor and weapon system suite capable of firing beyond-visual-range (BVR) missiles.

A major design consideration was take-off and landing performance. Existing Soviet fast jets required very long runways, which combined with their limited range, limited their tactical usefulness. The Soviet Air Force demanded the new aircraft have a much shorter take-off run. Low-level speed and handling was also to be improved over the MiG-21. This led Mikoyan to consider two alternatives: lift jets, to provide an additional lift component, and variable-geometry wings, which had been developed by TsAGI for both "clean-sheet" aircraft designs and adaptations of existing designs.

The first prototype, called "23-01" but also known as the MiG-23PD, was a tailed delta similar to the MiG-21 but with two lift jets in the fuselage. However, it became apparent very early that this configuration was unsatisfactory, as the lift jets became useless dead weight once airborne. The second prototype, known as "23-11", featured variable-geometry wings which could be set to angles of 16, 45 and 72 degrees, and it was clearly more promising. The maiden flight of 23-11 took place on 10 June 1967, and three more prototypes were prepared for further flight and system testing. All featured the Tumansky R-27-300 turbojet engine with a thrust of 7850 kp. The order to start series production of the MiG-23 was given in December 1967.

The General Dynamics F-111 and F-4 Phantom were the main Western influences on the MiG-23. The Russians, however, wanted a much lighter, single-engine fighter to maximize agility. Both the F-111 and the MiG-23 were designed as fighters, but the heavy weight of the F-111 turned it into a long-range interdictor and kept it out of the fighter role. The MiG-23's designers kept the MiG-23 light enough to dogfight with enemy fighters.

The U.S. Air Force operated a small number of MiG-23s, officially designated YF-113, as both test and evaluation aircraft and in an aggressor role for fighter pilot training, from 1977 through 1988 in a program codenamed "Constant Peg".^[1]

First-generation

Flogger-A

The Ye-231 was the prototype built for testing, and it lacked the sawtooth leading edge that later appeared on all MiG-23/-27 models. This experimental model was the common basic design that both the MiG-23/-27 and Sukhoi Su-24 were based on, but the Su-24 experienced much greater modification.
The MiG-23 was the pre-production model that lacked the hardpoints on later production versions, but the sawtooth leading edge appeared on this model, and it was also armed with guns. This model marked the divergence of the MiG-23/-27 and Su-24 from their common ancestor.
The MiG-23S was the initial production variant. Only around 60 were built between 1969-70. These aircraft were used for both flight and operational testing. The MiG-23S had an improved R-27F2-300 turbojet engine with a maximum thrust of 9980 kp. As the Sapfir-23 radar was delayed, the aircraft were installed with the S-21 weapons control system with the RP-22SM radar — basically the same weapons system as in the MiG-21MF/bis. A twin-barreled 23 mm GSh-23L gun with 200 rounds of ammunition was fitted under the fuselage. This variant suffered from various teething problems and was never fielded as an operational fighter.
The MiG-23SM was the second pre-production variant, which was also known as the MiG-23 Type 1971. It was considerably modified compared to the MiG-23S: it had the full S-23 weapons suite, featuring a Sapfir-23L radar coupled with Vympel R-23R (NATO: AA-7 'Apex') BVR missiles. It also had a further improved R-27F2M-300 (later redesignated R-29-300) engine with a maximum thrust of 12,000 kp. The modified "type 2" wing had an increased wing area and a larger sawtooth leading edge. The slats were deleted and wing sweep was increased by 2.5 degrees; wing positions were changed to 18.5, 47.5 and 74.5 degrees, respectively. The tail fin was moved further aft, and an extra fuel tank was added to the rear fuselage, as in the two-seat variant (see below). Around 80 examples were manufactured. The overall reliability was increased over the previous variant, but the Sapfir radar proved to be still immature.

Flogger-B

MiG-23M Flogger-B on display at the Museum of the Great Patriotic war in Kiev.

MiG-23M. This variant first flew on June 1972. It was the first truly mass-produced version of the MiG-23, and the first VVS fighter to feature look-down/shoot-down capabilities (although this capability was initially very limited). The wing was modified again and now featured leading-edge slats. The R-29-300 (R-29A) engine was now rated for 12,500 kp. It finally had the definitive sensor suite: an improved Sapfir-23D (NATO: 'High Lark') radar, a TP-23 infra-red search and track (IRST) sensor and an ASP-23D gunsight. The 'High Lark' radar had a detection range of some 45 km against a high-flying, fighter-sized target. It was not a true Doppler radar, but instead utilized the less effective "envelope detection" technique, similar to some radars on Western fighters of the 1960s.
MiG-23MF ("Flogger-B"). This was an export derivative of the MiG-23M originally intended to be exported to Warsaw Pact countries, but it was also sold to many other allies and clients, as most export customers were dissatisfied with the rather primitive MiG-23MS. It actually came in two versions. The first one was sold to Warsaw Pact allies, and it was essentially identical to Soviet MiG-23M, with small changes in "identify friend or foe" (IFF) transponders and communications equipment. The second variant was sold outside Eastern Europe and it had a different IFF and communications suite (usually with the datalink removed), and downgraded radar, which lacked the electronic counter-countermeasure (ECCM) features and modes of the baseline 'High Lark'. This variant was more popular abroad than the MiG-23MS and considerable numbers were exported, especially to the Middle East.

The infrared system had a detection range of around 30 km against high-flying bombers, but less for fighter-sized targets. The aircraft was also equipped with a Lasur-SMA datalink. The standard armament consisted of two radar- or infrared-guided Vympel R-23 (NATO: AA-7 'Apex') BVR missiles and two Molniya R-60 (NATO: AA-8 'Aphid') short-ranged infrared missiles. From 1974 onwards, double pylons were installed for the R-60s, enabling up to four missiles to be carried. Bombs, rockets and missiles could be carried for ground attack. Later, compatibility for the radio-guided Kh-23 (NATO: AS-7 'Kerry') ground-attack missile was added. Most Soviet MiGs were also wired to carry tactical nuclear weapons. Some 1300 MiG-23Ms were produced for the Soviet Air Force (VVS) and Soviet Air Defense Forces (PVO Strany) between 1972-78. It was the most important Soviet fighter type from the mid-to-late 1970s.

Flogger-C

MiG-23U. The MiG-23U was a twin-seat training variant. It was based on the MiG-23S, but featured a lengthened cockpit with a second crew station behind the first. One forward fuel tank was removed to accommodate an extra seat — this was compensated for by adding a new fuel tank in the rear fuselage. The MiG-23U had the S-21 weapon system, although the radar was later mostly removed. During its production run, both its wings and engine were improved to the MiG-23M standard. Production began at Irkutsk in 1971 and eventually converted to the MiG-23UB.

MiG-23UB. Very similar to MiG-23U except that the R-29 turbojet engine replaced the older R-27 installed in the MiG-23U. Production continued until 1985 (for the export variant). A total of 769 examples were built, including conversions from the MiG-23U.

Flogger-E

MiG-23MP. Similar to the MiG-23MS (described below), but produced in much fewer numbers and was never exported. Virtually identical to MiG-23MS except the addition of a dielectric head above the pylon, which was often associated with the ground-attack versions — for which it might have been a developmental prototype.

MiG-23MS. This was an export variant, as the '70s MiG-23M was considered too advanced to be exported to Third World countries. It was otherwise similar to MiG-23M, but it had the S-21 standard weapon system, with a RP-22SM (NATO: 'Jay Bird') radar in a smaller radome, and the IRST was removed. Obviously, this variant had no BVR capability, and the only air-to-air missiles it was capable of using were the R-3S (NATO: AA-2a 'Atoll') and R-60 (NATO: AA-8 'Aphid') IR-guided missiles and the R-3R (NATO: AA-2d 'Atoll') semi-active radar homing (SARH) missile. The avionics suite was very basic. This variant was produced between 1973-78 and exported principally to North Africa and the Middle East.

Second-generation

Flogger-G

MiG-23P. This was a specialized air-defense interceptor variant developed for the PVO Strany. It had the same airframe and powerplant as the MiG-23ML, but there is a cut-back fin root fillet instead of the original extended one on other models. Its avionics suite was improved to meet PVO requirements and mission profiles. Its radar was the improved Sapfir-23P, which could be used in conjunction with the gunsight for better look-down/shoot-down capabilities to counter increasing low-level threats like cruise missiles. The IRST, however, was absent. The autopilot included a new digital computer, and it was linked with the Lasur-M datalink. This enabled ground-controlled interception (GCI) ground stations to steer the aircraft towards the target; in such an intercept, all the pilot had to do was control the engine and use the weapons. The MiG-23P was the most numerous PVO interceptor in the 1980s. Around 500 aircraft were manufactured between 1978-81. The MiG-23P was never exported and served only within the PVO in Soviet service.
MiG-23bis. Similar to the MiG-23P except the IRST was restored and the cumbersome radar scope was eliminated because all of the information it provided could be displayed on the new head-up display (HUD).
MiG-23ML. The early Flogger variants were intended to be used in high-speed missile attacks, but it was soon noticed that fighters often had to engage in more stressful close-in combat. Early production aircraft had actually suffered cracks in the fuselage during their service career. Maneuverability of the aircraft was also criticized. A considerable redesign of the airframe was performed, resulting in the MiG-23ML (L - lightweight), which made it in some ways a new aircraft. Empty weight was reduced by 1250 kg, which was achieved partly by removing a rear fuselage fuel tank. Aerodynamics were refined for less drag. The dorsal fin extension was removed. The undercarriage was redesigned, resulting in a lowered nose attitude on the ground. The airframe was now rated for a g-limit of 8.5, compared to 8 g for the early generation MiG-23M/MF 'Flogger-B'. A new engine model, the R-35F-300, now provided a maximum dry thrust of 8550 kp, and 13,000 kp with afterburner. This led to considerable improvement in maneuverability and thrust-to-weight ratio. The avionics set was considerably improved as well. The S-23ML standard included Sapfir-23ML radar and TP-23ML IRST. The new radar was more reliable and a had maximum detection range of about 65 km against a fighter-sized target (25 km in look-down mode). The navigation suite received a new, much improved autopilot. New radio and datalink systems were also installed. The prototype of this variant first flew in 1976 and production began 1978.

Soviet MiG-23MLA Flogger-G

MiG-23MLA. The later production variant of the 'ML' was redesignated the 'MLA'. Externally, the 'MLA' was identical to 'ML'. Internally, the 'MLA' had an improved radar with better ECM resistance, which made co-operative group search operations possible as the radars would now not jam each other. It also had a new ASP-17ML HUD/gunsight, and the capability to fire improved Vympel R-24R/T missiles. Between 1978 and 1982, around 1100 'ML/MLA's were built for both the Soviet Air Force and export customers. As with the MiG-23MF, there were two different MiG-23ML sub-variants for export: the first version was sold to Warsaw Pact countries and was very similar to Soviet aircraft. The second variant had downgraded radar and it was sold to Third World allies.

Flogger-K

Soviet MiG-23MLD Flogger-K

MiG-23MLD. The MiG-23MLD was the ultimate fighter variant of the MiG-23. The main focus of the upgrade was to improve maneuverability, especially during high angles of attack (AoA).The pitot boom was equipped with vortex generators, and the wing's notched leading edge roots were 'saw-toothed' to act as vortex generators as well. The flight-control system was modified to improve handling and safety in high-AoA maneuvers. Significant improvements were made in avionics and survivability: the Sapfir-23MLA-II featured improved modes for look-down/shoot-down and close-in fighting. A new SPO-15L radar warning receiver was installed, along with chaff/flare dispensers. The new and very effective Vympel R-73 (NATO: AA-11 'Archer') short-range air-to-air missile was added to inventory. No new-build 'MLD' aircraft were delivered to the VVS, as the more advanced MiG-29 was about to enter production. Instead, all Soviet 'MLD's were former 'ML/MLA' aircraft modified to 'MLD' standard. Some 560 aircraft were upgraded between 1982-85. As with earlier MiG-23 versions, two distinct export variants were offered. Unlike Soviet examples, these were new-build aircraft, though they lacked the aerodynamic refinements of Soviet 'MLD's; 16 examples were delivered to Bulgaria, and 50 to Syria. These were the last single-seat MiG-23 fighters made, and the last example rolled off the production line in December 1984.

Ground-attack variants

Flogger-F

MiG-23B. The requirement for a new fighter-bomber had become obvious in the late 1960s, and the MiG-23 appeared to be suitable type for such conversion. The first prototype of the project, "32-34", flew for the first time on 20 August 1970. The MiG-23B had a redesigned forward fuselage, but was otherwise similar to the MiG-23S. The pilot seat was raised to improve visibility, and the windscreen was armored. The nose was flat-bottomed and tapered down. There was no radar; instead it had a Sokol-23 ground attack sight system, which included an analog computer, laser rangefinder and PBK-3 bomb sight. The navigation suite and autopilot were also improved to provide more accurate bombing. It retained the GSh-23L gun, and its maximum warload was increased to 3000 kg by strengthening the pylons. Survivability was improved by an electronic warfare (EW) suite and inert gas system in the fuel tanks to prevent fire. The first prototype had a MiG-23S type wing, but subsequent examples had the larger "type 2" wing. Most importantly, instead of an R-29 variant, aircraft was powered by the AL-21F-3 turbofan with a maximum thrust of 11,500 kp. The production of this variant was limited, however, as the supply of AL-21 engines was needed for the Sukhoi Su-17 and Su-24 production lines. In addition, this engine was not cleared for export. Only three MiG-23B prototypes and 24 production aircraft were produced in 1971-72.

Flogger-H

MiG-23BK.These were exported to Warsaw Pact countries — but not to Third World customers — and thus had the PrNK-23 navigation and attack system. Additional radar warning receivers were also mounted on the intakes.
MiG-23BM. This was a MiG-23BK upgrade, with the PrNK-23M replacing the original PrNK-23, and a digital computer replacing the original analog computer.
MiG-23BM experimental aircraft. The MiG-23 ground-attack versions had too much "fighter heritance" for an attack aircraft, and a new design with more radical changes was developed. This was eventually redesignated as the MiG-27 (NATO: 'Flogger-D'). The MiG-23BM experimental aircraft served as a predecessor to the MiG-27 and it differs from the standard MiG-23BM and other MiG-23 models in that its dielectric heads were directly on the wing roots, instead of on the pylons.
MiG-23BN. The MiG-23BN was the definitive fighter-bomber variant. It was otherwise the same as MiG-23B, but had the same R-29-300 engine as contemporary fighter 'Floggers'. They were also fitted with "type 3" wings. There were other minor changes in electronics and equipment, and some changes were made during its long production run. This variant proved to be fairly popular and effective and it was extensively exported. As usual, a downgraded version was sold to Third World customers. Serial production began in 1973 and lasted until 1985, with 624 examples built. Most of them were exported, as the Soviets always viewed it as an interim type and only a small number served in Frontal Aviation regiments. The most distinctive identifying feature between the MiG-23B and MiG-23BN was that the former was rather a developmental aircraft and had the dielectric head just above the pylon, but this was removed from the MiG-23BN.The last of the MiG-23 BNs were flown by 221 Squadron (Valiants) of Indian Air Force and were decommissioned on 6 March 2009. Wing Commander Tapas Ranjan Sahu, was the last pilot to land the Mig-23 BN on that day.

Proposed variants and upgrades

The MiG-23R was a proposed reconnaissance variant; the project was never finished. The MiG-23MLGD, 'MLG' and 'MLS' were further fighter upgrades with new radar and EW equipment, partly the same as in MiG-29; these variants were also fitted with helmet-mounted sights and were basically MiG-23MLD subvariants. They were abandoned in favor of the then ongoing MiG-29 program. The MiG-23K was a carrier-borne fighter variant based on the MiG-23ML, and the MiG-23A was a multirole variant based on the 'K'. It was planned to develop the MiG-23A into three different subvariants: MiG-23AI, MiG-23AB and MiG-23AR. The MiG-23AI was to be a dedicated fighter, the MiG-23AB was to be an attack-dedicated variant, and the MiG-23AR a dedicated reconnaissance variant. However, cancellation and subsesquent redesign of the Soviet aircraft carrier project also caused cancellation of the MiG-23A and MiG-23K variants and subvariants.

There were other MiG-23 variants such as the MiG-23MLK that was planned to be powered by either two new R-33 engines or one R-100, and the MiG-23MD was basically a MiG-23M fitted with a Saphir-23MLA-2. The MiG-23ML-1 was a variant with several possible powerplant and engine choices; its single-engine options were either one R-100 or one R-69F engine, while its twin-engine arrangement was two R-33 engines. It was planned to be armed with a new air-to-air missile, the R-146^{[citation needed]}.

In the late 1990s, Mikoyan, following their successful MiG-21 upgrade projects, offered a MiG-23-98 upgrade which featured new radar, new self-defense suite, new avionics, improved cockpit ergonomy, helmet-mounted sight, and the capability to fire Vympel R-27 (NATO: AA-10 'Alamo') and Vympel R-77 (NATO: AA-12 'Adder') missiles. The projected cost was around US$1 million per aircraft. Smaller upgrades were also offered, which consisted of only improving the existing Sapfir-23 with newer missiles and upgrades of other avionics. Airframe life extension was offered as well.

So far these upgrades have been met with little interest. However, in 2005, Angola had the upgrade of the Saphir radar fitted to their MiG-23MLs; this radar upgrade allows the Angolan MiG-23s to fire new types of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. This radar upgrade seems to be the same offered as part of the MiG-23-98-2 radar upgrade.

Total production of MiG-23 fighter, attack and trainer versions was 5047 aircraft (not including the MiG-27), of which 3630 were fighter variants.

MiG-23 and MiG-25 were used as first jet fighter platforms to test a new in-cockpit warning system with a pre-recorded female voice to inform pilots about various flight parameters. A female voice was chosen specifically to provide a clear and intuitive distinction between communications from the ground and the messages from internal systems, since ground communications virtually always came in male voice in Soviet service. The idea proved successful for many reasons besides the original one, and was later heavily borrowed by Western aircraft manufacturers, eventually becoming standard in all jet fighters around the world.

Price

The MiG-23 had the advantage of being quite cheap in the early 1980s. For example, the MiG-23MS was priced between US$3.6 million and US$6.6 million depending on the customer; on the other hand in 1980, the F-16 Fighting Falcon was priced at US$14 million, and the Flogger's closest Western competitor was the Israeli $4.5 million Kfir C2.

Armament

MiG-23M Flogger-B armed with AA-7 and AA-8 missiles

The MiG-23's armament evolved as the type's avionics were upgraded and new variants were deployed. The earliest versions, which were equipped with the MiG-21's fire control system, were limited to firing variants of R-3 (AA-2 'Atoll'). The R-60 (AA-8 'Aphid') replaced the R-3 during the '70s, and from the MiG-23M onwards the R-23/R-24 (AA-7 'Apex') was carried. Third-generation Floggers were capable of firing R-73 (AA-11 'Archer') when it became available, but this missile was not exported until the MiG-29 was released for export. The helmet-mounted sight associated with the AA-11 'Archer' (R-73) was fitted on the MiG-23MLD/MLDG experimental subvariants that never entered production as had been originally planned. The reason was that these MiG-23MLD subvariants had less priority than the then ongoing MiG-29 program, and the Mikoyan bureau therefore decided to concentrate all their efforts on the MiG-29 program and halted further work on the MiG-23s. Nevertheless, a helmet-mounted sight is now offered as part of the MiG-23-98 upgrade. There were reports about the MiG-23MLD being capable of firing the AA-10 'Alamo' (R-27) beyond its firing experimental tests; however, it seems only Angola's MiG-23-98 are capable of doing so. A MiG-23 was used to test and fire the AA-10, AA-11 and AA-12 air-to-air missiles during their early flight and firing trials. Ground-attack armament included 57 mm rocket pods, general purpose bombs up to 500 kg in size, gun pods, and Kh-23 (AS-7 'Kerry') radio-guided missiles. Up to four external fuel tanks could be carried.

Operational history

Captured MiG-23 on display in Israel

Western and Russian aviation historians usually differ in respect to the MiG-23's combat record, in part due to the bias in favor of their respective national aircraft industries. They also usually accept claims going along with their respective political views since usually many conflicting and contradictory reports are written and accepted by their respective historians. Little pictorial evidence has been published confirming MiG-23 air to air losses and victories, with the exception of the Libyan MiG-23s shot down by U.S. Navy F-14s and two pictures of Syrian MiG-23s shot down in 1982 by Israeli forces^{[citation needed]}.

The first MiG-23s to see combat were export variants with many limitations. For example, the MiG-23MS lacked such a basic system as the radar warning receiver. In addition, compared to the MiG-21, the aircraft was mechanically complex and expensive. Early export variants also lacked many "war reserve modes" in their radars, making them vulnerable against electronic countermeasures (ECM), at which the Israelis were especially proficient. Israel claims that during the period of 1982–1985 no Israeli aircraft was lost to enemy aircraft and that Israel only lost five aircraft shot down by Syrian SAMs^{[citation needed]}. Israeli reports (which have been endorsed by the majority of Western historians) claim that during the period of intense fighting from 6-11 June 1982, 85 Syrian aircraft were shot down in air combat. At least 30 of these aircraft were reported by Israeli sources to be MiG-23s, but mainly the specialized ground attack version, the MiG-23BN, which was not designed especially for air-to-air combat.

The Israelis also claim that their F-15s downed two MiG-23MLs in 1985.

According to Soviet/Russian historians, the MiG-23MS did achieve kills in this war. One of these victories was achieved on 11 June 1982, when a pair of MiG-23MS pilots, named Heyrat and Zabi, brought down an Israeli F-4 with two AA-2s. Both MiG-23MS pilots were then shot down.^[2]

Line of Cuban MiG-23s.

Soviet/Russian sources also state the Syrians lost only six MiG-23MFs and four export MiG-23MSs in the Bekaa Valley, while the other fourteen MiG-23s shot down by the Israelis were MiG-23BN ground-attack variants. At the same time, Syrian MiG-23s managed to shoot down at least five F-16s, two F-4Es, and a BQM-34 unmanned reconnaissance plane. These are some of the Syrian MiG-23 kills as described in a Soviet/Russian source:^[2]

On 7 June 1982, three MiG-23MFs (pilots Hallyak, Said, and Merza) attacked a group of F-16s. Captain Merza detected the F-16s at a distance of 25 km and brought down two F-16s with R-23 (AA-7 "Apex") missiles (one from 9 km and another within the distance of 7 or 8 km) before he himself was shot down. On 8 June 1982, two MiG-23MFs again met with F-16s. Major Hau's MiG-23 detected an F-16 at a distance of 21 km and shot it down with an R-23 from a distance of 7 km. Again, the Syrian pilot was himself shot down by an AIM-9 Sidewinder fired from another F-16. On 9 June 1982, two MiG-23MFs, piloted by Dib and Said, attacked a group of F-16s. Dib brought down an F-16 from a distance of 6 km with an R-23, but was then shot down, most likely by a Sidewinder.

Soviet/Russian sources further state that three Israeli F-15s and one F-4 were shot down in October 1983 by the newly delivered MiG-23MLs, with no Syrian losses since.^[2]

The MiG-23 took part in the Iran–Iraq War, but its air combat results with the Iraqi Air Force are difficult to determine.

Cuban MiG-23MLs and South African Mirage F1s had several encounters during Angolan War, one of which resulted in a Mirage being lost after it was damaged by an R-60 (NATO: AA-8 "Aphid") missile fired by a Cuban MiG-23ML. The South African pilot barely managed to save his life after the Mirage suffered several malfunctions that forced him to crash land, severely damaging the aircraft and causing it to be written off.

Soviet MiG-23MLDs and Pakistani F-16s clashed a few times during the Soviet-Afghan War. One F-16 was lost in 1987 with the circumstances of the loss not clear. Pakistan insists it was a friendly fire incident, however at first the F-16 was reported as shot down and only later the Pakistani side recanted the event, but it could have been destroyed by a MiG-23 as the Soviets claimed^{[citation needed]}. A year later, Soviet MiG-23MLDs using R-24s (NATO: AA-7 "Apex") downed two Iranian AH-1J Cobras that had intruded into Afghani airspace. In a similar incident a decade earlier, on 21 June 1978, a PVO MiG-23M flown by Pilot Captain V. Shkinder shot down two Iranian Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters that had trespassed into Soviet airspace, one helicopter being dispatched by two R-60 missiles and the other by cannon fire.

Two Libyan MiG-23MS fighters were shot down by U.S. Navy F-14s in the Gulf of Sidra incident in 1989.

During the Persian Gulf War, the USAF reported downing eight Iraqi MiG-23s with F-15s. Some Russian sources claim that a U.S. F-16 and a Italian Tornado were shot down by Iraqi MiG-23 in this war.

An Iraqi MiG-23 was shot down by a USAF F-16 using an AMRAAM missile in January 1993, during skirmishes in the No-Fly-Zones.

In Eritrea in 1999 3 Ethiopian MiG-23s where shoot down by Eritrean MiG-29s in a small border war in 1999.

Soviet and Warsaw Pact service

Because of its distinctive appearance with large air intakes on both sides of the fuselage the aircraft was nicknamed "Cheburashka" by some Soviet pilots after a popular Russian cartoon character representing a fictional animal with big ears. The nickname did not stick and was later firmly assigned to Antonov An-72/74, although to this day it is sometimes applied to different aircraft with similar exterior features, including the USAF A-10 Thunderbolt II.

The aircraft was not used in large numbers by the non-Soviet air forces of the Warsaw Pact as originally envisioned. When the MiG-23s were initially deployed, they were considered the elites of the Eastern Bloc air forces. However, very quickly the disadvantages became evident and the MiG-23 did not replace the MiG-21 as initially intended. The aircraft had some deficiencies that limited its operational serviceability and its hourly operating cost was thus higher than the MiG-21’s. The Eastern Bloc air forces used their MiG-23s to replace MiG-17s and MiG-19s still in service.

Ukrainian decomissioned MiG-23.

By 1990, over 1,500 MiG-23s of different models were in service with VVS and PVO. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Air Force began to cut back its fighter force, and it was decided the MiG-23s and MiG-27s were among the types which were to be retired to operational storage. The last model to serve was the MiG-23P, which was retired in 1998.

When East and West Germany reunified, no MiG-23s were transferred to the Luftwaffe, but twelve former East German MiG-23s were supplied to the U.S. When Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Czechs received all the MiG-23s, which were retired in 1998. Hungary retired their MiG-23s in 1996, Poland in 1999, Romania in 2000, and Bulgaria in 2004.

The MiG-23 was the Soviet Air Force's "Top Gun"-equivalent aggressor aircraft from the late 1970s to the late 1980s. It proved a difficult opponent for early MiG-29 variants flown by inexperienced pilots. Exercises showed when well-flown, a MiG-23MLD could achieve favorable kill ratios against the MiG-29 in mock combat by using hit-and-run tactics and not engaging the MiG-29s in dogfights. Usually the aggressor MiG-23MLDs had a shark mouth painted on the nose just aft of the radome, and many were piloted by Soviet-Afghan War veterans. In the late 1980s, these aggressor MiG-23s were replaced by MiG-29s, also featuring shark mouths.

Performance tests

Many potential enemies of the USSR and its client states had a chance to evaluate the MiG-23’s performance. In the 1970s, after a political realignment by the Egyptian government, Egypt gave their MiG-23MS to the United States and the People's Republic of China in exchange for military hardware. In the US, these MiG-23MS and other variants acquired later from Germany were used as part of the evaluation program of Soviet military hardware. Dutch pilot Leon Van Maurer, who had more than 1200 hours flying F-16s, flew against MiG-23ML Flogger-Gs from air bases in Germany and the U.S. as part of NATO's aerial mock combat training with Soviet equipment. He concluded the MiG-23ML was superior in the vertical to early F-16 variants, just slightly inferior to the F-16A in the horizontal, and has superior beyond visual range (BVR) capability.

The Israelis tested a MiG-23MLD that defected from Syria and found it had better acceleration than the F-16 and F/A-18.

Another MiG-23 evaluation finding in the US and Israel reports was that the MiG-23 has a Heads-Up Display (HUD) that doubles as a radarscope, allowing the pilot to keep his eyes focused at infinity and work with his radar. It also allowed the Soviets to dispense with the radarscope on the MiG-23. This feature was carried over into the MiG-29, though in that aircraft a cathode ray tube (CRT) was carried on the upper right corner to double as a radarscope. Western opinions about this "head-up radarscope" are mixed. The Israelis were impressed, but an American F-16 pilot criticizes it as "sticking a transparent map in front of the HUD" and not providing a three-dimensional presentation that will accurately cue a pilot's eyes to look for a fighter as it appears in a particular direction.

Besides the Syrian defection, a Cuban pilot flew a MiG-23BN to the US in 1991 and a Libyan MiG-23 pilot also defected to Greece in 1981. In both cases, the aircraft were later returned to their countries.

Operators

Current operators

MiG-23 operators (current in bright red; former in dark red)

Armenia: Armenian Air Force. 5 MiG-23 in service
Algeria: Algerian Air Force. 29 MiG-23BN/MS/UB in service
Angola: People's Air and Air Defence Force of Angola. 32 MiG-23M/UB in service
Belarus: Belarus Air Force. 34 MiG-23M in service
Côte d'Ivoire: Cote d'Ivoire Air Force. Received two MiG-23MLD from Bulgaria in the late 1990s. [1]
Cuba: Cuban Air Force. 69 MiG-23MF/ML/UB in service (most grounded)
Ethiopia: Ethiopian Air Force. 32 MiG-23BN/UB in service for ground attack role. The interceptor variant, MIG-23ML, was withdrawn from service.
Kazakhstan: 100 MiG-23M/UB in service
Libya: Libyan Air Force. 130 MiG-23MS/ML/BN/UB in service (most in storage)
North Korea: North Korean Air Force. 66 MiG-23ML/UB in service
Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Air Force. One MiG-23UB trainer used only for training purposes for their MiG-27 fleet
Syria: Syrian Air Force. 146 MiG-23MS/MF/ML/MLD/BN/UB in service
Turkmenistan: 230 MiG-23M/UB in service
Yemen: Yemen Air Force. 44 MiG-23BN/UB in service
Vietnam: Vietnam People's Air Force. 36 Mig-23ML/UB in service^[3]
Zimbabwe: Air Force of Zimbabwe. 3 MiG-23M/UB in service^[4]

Note: The status of Belarus' MiG-23s is uncertain. While some sources say they are operational (or at least in a low operational capability), others claim they have been retired.

[edit] Former operators

Afghanistan: Afghan Air Force. MiG-23BN/UB may have served with the Afghan Air Force from 1984. It is unclear whether these were merely Soviet aircraft wearing Afghan colors.
Bulgaria: Bulgarian Air Force. A total of 90 MiG-23s served the Bulgarian Air Force from 1976 to their withdrawal from service in 2002. The exact count is: 33 MiG-23BN, 12 MiG-23MF, 1 MiG-23ML, 8 MiG-23MLA, 21 MiG-23MLD and 15 MiG-23UB.
Czech Republic: Czechoslovakian Air Force. MiGs were retired in 1994 (BN,MF version) and 1998 (ML, UB variant).
Czechoslovakia: Czech Air Force. MiG-23s were transferred to the Czech Republic.
East Germany: East German Air Force. Transferred to (West) German Luftwaffe. The German Luftwaffe gave two MiG-23s to USAF and one to a museum in Florida, the others were given away to others states or scrapped.
Iran: 24 flown over from Iraq in 1991 in storage.
Egypt: Egyptian Air Force. Six MiG-23BN/MF/U were sent to China in exchange for military hardware; China used them only for evaluation purposes, which eventually evolved into Q-6.^{[citation needed]} At least 8 were transferred to USA for evaluation.
Georgia: Georgian Air Force
Hungary: Hungarian Air Force. 16 MiG-23 served and were withdrawn in 1997; the exact count is: 12 MiG-23MF and 4 MiG-23 UB (one of them was purchased in 1990 from the Soviet Air Force).
India: Indian Air force.MiG-23BN ground attack aircraft phased out on 6 March 2009 & MiG-23MF air defence interceptor phased out on 2007.^[5]
Iraq: Iraqi Air Force. Some Iraqi MiG-23s were sent to Yugoslavia for upgrades when Gulf war started. 1 known example remains in Serbia at the Museum of Aviation in Belgrade.

Polish Air Force MiG-23

Ukrainian MiG-23 on display at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Kiev

Poland: Polish Air Force. 36 MiG-23MF single-seaters and six MiG-23UB trainers were delivered to the Polish Air Force between 1979 and 1982. Last of them were withdrawn in September 1999.
Romania: Romanian Air Force. 46 MiG-23 served from 1979 until 2001 and were withdrawn in 2003; the exact count is: 36 MiG-23MF and 10 MiG-23 UB.
Russia: Russian Air Force. Approx 500, all in reserve
Soviet Union: Passed on to successor states.

Sudan: Sudanese Air Force
Ukraine: Ukrainian Air Force

Evaluation only users

China

MiG-23 obtained from Egypt were reverse engineered as Q-6, but did not enter service.^{[citation needed]}

Israel

One ex-Syrian plane flown by a defecting pilot to Israel.

United States

Samples obtained from Egypt remained flight worthy until the late 1980s and were mostly stationed in Nellis Air Force Base
The Cold War Air Museum (CWAM) is returning a MiG-23UB to flying condition from its Museum at Lancaster Airport (Texas) just south of Dallas, Texas.^[6]

Yugoslavia

Some ex-Iraqi MiG-23's have been used by Flight Test Center (VOC) in early '90s.

The Albanian Air Force never flew the MiG-23.^[7]

Notable incidents and accidents

On July 18, 1980, 21 days after the Aerolinee Itavia Flight 870 incident, a Libyan MiG-23 crashed on the Sila Mountains in Castelsilano, Calabria, southern Italy, according to eye witnesses and official reports. Media rumors reported that the plane may actually only have been discovered at that time, and that the pilot's body was decomposed, originated allegations that the MiG may have been shot down at the time of the Flight 870 incident. ^[8]
4 July 1989: A "runaway" Soviet MiG-23 crashed into a house in Belgium, killing an 18-year-old man.

Specifications (MiG-23MLD Flogger-K)

General characteristics

Crew: One
Length: 16.70 m (56 ft 9.5)
Wingspan: Spread, 13.97 m (45 ft 10 in)
Height: 4.82 m (15 ft 9.75 in)
Wing area: 37.35 m² spread, 34.16 m² swept (402.05 ft² / 367.71 ft²)
Empty weight: 9,595 kg (21,153 lb)
Loaded weight: 15,700 kg (34,612 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 18,030 kg (39,749 lb)
Powerplant: 1× Khatchaturov R-35-300 afterburning turbojet, 83.6 kN dry, 127 kN afterburning (18,850 lbf / 28,700 lbf)

Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 2.4 2,445 km/h at altitude; Mach 1.14, 1,350 km/h at sea level (1,553 mph / 840 mph)
Range: 1,150 km with six AAMs combat, 2,820 km ferry (570 mi / 1,750 mi)
Service ceiling: 18,500 m (60,695 ft)
Rate of climb: 240 m/s (47,245 ft/min)
Wing loading: 420 kg/m² (78.6 lb/ft²)
Thrust/weight: 0.88

Armament

1x Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23L 23 mm cannon with 200 rounds
Two fuselage, two wing glove, and two wing pylons for up to 3,000 kg (6,610 lb) of stores, including:

also, upgraded aircraft may carry:

According to the MiG-23ML manual, the MiG-23ML has a maximun sustained turn rate of 14.1 deg/sec and a maximum instantaneous turn rate of 16.7 deg/sec. The MiG-23ML accelerates from 600 km/h (373 mph) to 900 km/h (559 mph) in just 12 seconds at the altitude of 1000 meters. The MiG-23 accelerates at the altitude of 1 km from the speed of 630 km/h (391 mph) to 1300 km/h (808 mph) in just 30 seconds and at the altitude of 10–12 km will accelerate from Mach 1 to Mach 2 in just 160 seconds.

MiG-21

2009-06-18T02:58:00.000-07:00

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21) (NATO reporting name "Fishbed") is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed and built by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek (English: pencil) by Polish pilots due to the shape of its fuselage. Early versions are considered second-generation jet fighters, while later versions are considered to be third-generation jet fighters. Some 50 countries over four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations a half-century after its maiden flight. The fighter has the distinction of holding a number of modern aviation records; it is the most produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history, the most produced combat aircraft since the Korean War, and it had the longest production run of a combat aircraft (1959 to 1985 over all variants).

Development

The MiG-21 jet fighter was a continuation of Soviet jet fighters, starting with the subsonic MiG-15, MiG-17, and the supersonic MiG-19. A number of experimental Mach 2 Soviet designs were based on nose intakes with either swept-back wings, such as the Sukhoi Su-7, or tailed deltas, of which the MiG-21 would be the most successful.

Development of what would become the MiG-21 began in the early 1950s, when Mikoyan OKB finished a preliminary design study for a prototype designated Ye-1 in 1954. This project was very quickly reworked when it was determined that the planned engine was too underpowered; the redesign led to the second prototype, the Ye-2. Both these and other early prototypes featured swept wings—the first prototype with delta wings as found on production variants was the Ye-4. The Ye-4 made its maiden flight on 16 June 1955 and made its first public appearance during the Soviet Aviation Day display at Moscow's Tushino Airport in July 1956. The MiG-21 was the first successful Soviet aircraft combining fighter and interceptor characteristics in a single aircraft. It was a lightweight fighter, achieving Mach 2 with a relatively low-powered afterburning turbojet, and is thus comparable to the American F-104 Starfighter and F-5 Freedom Fighter and the French Dassault Mirage III.^[1]

Like many aircraft designed as interceptors, the MiG-21 had a short range. This was not helped by a design defect where the center of gravity shifted rearwards once two-thirds of the fuel had been used. This had the effect of making the plane uncontrollable, resulting in an endurance of only 45 minutes in clean condition. The issue of the short endurance and low fuel capacity of the MiG-21F, PF, PFM, S/SM and M/MF variants—though each had a somewhat greater fuel capacity than its predecessor—led to the development of the MT and SMT variants. These had a range increase of 250 km (155 mi.) compared to the MiG-21SM, but at the cost of worsening all other performance figures (such as a lower service ceiling and slower time to altitude).^[1]

The delta wing, while excellent for a fast-climbing interceptor, meant any form of turning combat led to a rapid loss of speed. However, the light loading of the aircraft could mean that a climb rate of 235 m/s (46,250 ft/min) was possible with a combat-loaded MiG-21bis,^[1] not far short of the performance of the later F-16A. Given a skilled pilot and capable missiles, it could give a good account of itself against contemporary fighters. It was replaced by the newer variable-geometry MiG-23 and MiG-27 for ground support duties. However, not until the MiG-29 would the Soviet Union ultimately replace the MiG-21 as a maneuvering dogfighter to counter new American air superiority types.^{[citation needed]}

The MiG-21 was exported widely and continues to be used well past the time where it might have been considered obsolete. The aircraft's simple controls, engine, weapons, and avionics were typical of Soviet-era military designs. The use of a tail with the delta wing aids stability and control at the extremes of the flight envelope, enhancing safety for lower-skilled pilots; this in turn enhanced its marketability in exports to third world countries with limited training programs and restricted pilot pools. While technologically inferior to the more advanced fighters it often faced, low production and maintenance costs made it a favorite of nations buying Eastern Bloc military hardware. Several Russian, Israeli and Romanian firms have begun to offer upgrade packages to MiG-21 operators, designed to bring the aircraft up to a modern standard, with greatly upgraded avionics and armaments.^[1]

Due to the lack of available information, early details of the MiG-21 were often confused with those of the similar Sukhoi fighters also under development. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1960-1961 describes the "Fishbed" as a Sukhoi design, and uses an illustration of the Su-9 'Fishpot'.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Production

MiG-21 at Aleksotas Airport (S. Dariaus / S. Gireno), Kaunas (EYKS)

A total of 10,645 units were built in the USSR.^[1] They were produced in three factories, in the GAZ 30 in Moscow (also known as Znamya Truda), in GAZ 21 in Gorky^[3] and in GAZ 31 in Tbilisi.^{[clarification needed]} The type of "MiG" manufactured differed. Gorky built single-seaters for the Soviet forces. Moscow built single-seaters for export and Tbilisi manufactured the twin-seaters both for export and for the USSR. However, there are exceptions. The MiG-21R and MiG-21bis for export and for the USSR were built in Gorky, 17 single-seaters were built in Tbilisi (MiG-21 and MiG-21F), the MiG-21MF was first built in Moscow and then Gorky, and the MiG-21U was built in Moscow as well as in Tbilisi. The count for each factory is:

5,765 in Gorky
- 83 MiG-21F; 513 MiG-21F-13; 525 MiG-21PF; 233 MiG-21PFL; 944 MiG-21PFS/PFM; 448 MiG-21R; 145 MiG-21S/SN; 349 MiG-21SM; 281 MiG-21SMT; 2013 MiG-21bis; 231 MiG-21MF^[1]
3,203 in Moscow^[1]
- MiG-21U (all export units); MiG-21PF (all export units); MiG-21FL (all units not built by HAL); MiG-21M (all); 15 MiG-21MT (all)^[1]
1,678 in Tbilisi ^[1]
- 17 MiG-21 and MiG-21F; 181 MiG-21U izdeliye 66-400 and 66-600 (1962–1966); 347 MiG-21US (1966–1970); 1133 MiG-21UM (1971 to end)^[1]

A total of 194 MiG-21F-13s were built under licence in Czechoslovakia, and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. of India built 657 MiG-21FL, MiG-21M and MiG-21bis (of which 225 were bis)^[1]

[edit] Technical description

MiG-21 cockpit

The MiG-21 is a single-engined jet fighter aircraft capable of supersonic flight.[1]

Wing

The MiG-21 has a delta wing. The sweep angle on the leading edge is 57° with a TsAGI S-12 airfoil. The angle of incidence is 0° while the dihedral angle is -2°. On the trailing edge there are ailerons with an area of 1.18 m², and flaps with an area of 1.87 m². In front of the ailerons there are small wing fences.

Fuselage

A semi-monocoque with an elliptical profile with a maximum width of 1.24 m. The air flow to the engine is regulated by a cone in the air intake. Up until the MiG-21PF it is three staged. On speeds up to M=1.5 it is fully retracted, between speeds of M=1.5 and M=1.9 it is in the middle position, and with speeds higher than M=1.9 it is in the maximum forward position. However, on the MiG-21PF it adapts to the actual speed, according to the UVD-2M system aboard the aircraft, which monitors the pressure in front and behind the compressor of the engine. On both side of the nose there are gills to supply the engine with more air while on the ground and during takeoff. In the first variant of the MiG-21, the pitot tube is on the bottom of the nose; after the MiG-21P, every version of the -21 has this tube situated on the top of the air intake.

The cabin is pressurized and air conditioned. The canopy up until the MiG-21PFM opens on a hinge on the front of the canopy. When ejecting, the SK-1 ejection seat connects with the canopy making a capsule to enclose the pilot and protect him from the airflow, after which it would separate and the pilot would parachute down. However, the canopy took too long to separate and some pilots were killed after ejecting at low altitudes. On the MiG-21PFM the canopy opens on a hinge on the right side of the cockpit.

hinge of the canopy

On the belly of the plane there are three air brakes, two at the front and one at the back. The front brakes have an area of 0.76 m², and a deflection angle of 35°. The back one has an area of 0.46 m² and a deflection angle of 40°. The usage of the back air brake is blocked if the plane carries an external fuel tank. Behind the air brakes are the bays for the main landing gear. Under the body, just behind the trailing edge of the wing, two JATO rockets can be attached. The front part of the fuselage ends with former #28. Beginning with former #28a is the back part of the fuselage, which is removable for engine maintenance.

central air brake

lateral air brake

Empennage

The empennage of the MiG-21 consists of a vertical stabilizer, a stabilator and a small fin on the bottom of the tail to improve yaw control. The vertical stabilizer has a sweep angle of 60° and an area of 5.32 m² (on earlier version 3.8 m²) and a rudder. The stabilator has sweep angle of 57°, an area of 3.94 m² and a span of 2.6 m.

Landing Gear

A tricycle type undercarriage with a nose gear. The main landing gear has tires 800 mm in diameter and 600 mm in width (till the MiG-21P; 660x200 mm). The wheels of the main landing gear retract in the fuselage after rotating 87°, the shock absorbers retract in the wing. The nose gear retracts forward in the fuselage under the radar. The wheel base is 4.71 m, the track width is 2.69 m.

forward gear

rear gear

Engines

The MiG-21 engine was produced in several variants.^[4]

**Engines used in MiG-21 variants** ^[1]:
Model	Engine	Thrust - kN (dry/reheat)	Thrust - lbf (dry/reheat)
Ye-2	Mikulin AM-9B	25.5/31.9	5730/7165
Ye-2A/MiG-23 (izd. 63)	Tumanskiy RD-11	37.3/50.0	8380/11240
Ye-50	Tumanskiy RD-9E + Dushkin S-155	25.5/32.4 + 37.3	5730/7275 + 8380
Ye-50A/MiG-23U (izd. 64)	Tumanskiy R-11E-300 + Dushkin S-155	37.3/50.0 + 37.3	8380/11240 + 8380
Ye-4	Tumanskiy RD-9E	25.5/32.4	5730/7275
MiG-21 (izd. 65)	Tumanskiy R-11-300	?/49.0	?/11020
Ye-6	Tumanskiy R-11F-300	38.3/56.4	8600/12680
MiG-21F (izd. 72)	Tumanskiy R-11F-300	38.3/56.4	8600/12680
MiG-21F-13 (izd. 74)	Tumanskiy R-11F-300	38.3/56.4	8600/12680
Ye-6T ("Ye-66")	Tumanskiy R-11F2-300	36.8/60.7	8258/13633
Ye-6T ("Ye-66A")	Tumanskiy R-11F2-300 + Sevruk S3-20M5A	36.8/60.7 + ?	8258/13633 + ?
Ye-6V	Tumanskiy R-11F2S-300	38.8/60.6	8710/13610
Ye-7 1-2/MiG-21P	Tumanskiy R-11F-300	38.3/56.4	8600/12680
Ye-7 3-4	Tumanskiy R-11F2-300	38.8/60.0	8710/13490
MiG-21PF (izd. 76, 76A)	Tumanskiy R-11F2-300	38.8/60.0	8710/13490
MiG-21FL (izd. 77)	Tumanskiy R-11F-300	38.3/56.4	8600/12680
Ye-7SPS, MiG-21PFS (izd. 94)	Tumanskiy R-11F2S-300	38.8/60.6	8710/13610
MiG-21PFM (izd. 94, 94A)	Tumanskiy R-11F2S-300	38.8/60.6	8710/13610
Ye-7R	Tumanskiy R-11F2S-300	38.8/60.6	8710/13610
MiG-21R (izd. 03, 94R, 94RA)	Tumanskiy R-11F2S-300	38.8/60.6	8710/13610
MiG-21R (94R late)	Tumanskiy R-13-300	39.9/63.7	8970/14320
Ye-7S	Tumanskiy R-11F2-300	38.8/60.0	8710/13490
MiG-21S/SN (izd. 95/95N)	Tumanskiy R-11F2S-300	38.8/60.6	8710/13610
MiG-21M (izd. 96)	Tumanskiy R-11F2SK-300	38.8/60.6	8710/13610
MiG-21SM (izd. 95M/15)	Tumanskiy R-13-300	39.9/63.7	8970/14310
MiG-21MF (izd. 96F)	Tumanskiy R-13-300	39.9/63.7	8970/14310
MiG-21MT/SMT/ST (izd. 96T/50/50)	Tumanskiy R-13F-300	39.9/63.7	8970/14320
MiG-21bis (izd. 75/75A/75B)	Tumanskiy R-25-300	40.2/69.6 (97.1*)	9040/15650 (21825*)

* = limited (3-minute) "extra-power" reheat at altitudes 4000m (13,120 ft) or less.

Armaments

The following table shows the possible ordnance loads of various models of the MiG-21. In the pylons column, the number listed is per individual pylon.

**Armaments of various MiG-21 variants** ^[1]:
Model	Internal Cannon	Center Pylon	Inboard Pylons (per hardpoint)	Outboard Pylons (per hardpoint)
Ye-2	3x NR-30 w 60 rpg	1x UB-16-57 16-tube rocket pod	n/a
Ye-2A/MiG-23	3x NR-30 w 60 rpg	1x PTB-490 490L drop tank 1x UB-16-57 1x FAB-250 GP bomb	n/a
Ye-50A/MiG-23U	2x NR-30 w 60 rpg	n/a	1x ORO-57K 8-tube rocket pod
Ye-4	3x NR-30 w 60 rpg	1x FAB-250/500 GP bomb 1x UB-16-57 1x PTB-400 400L drop tank
MiG-21	3x N-30 w 60 rpg	1x FAB-250 GP bomb 2x ORO-57K on special adapter 2x TRS-190 HVAR on twin launcher 1x ARS-212 unguided rocket 1x PTB-400
MiG-21F	1st 30: 1x NR-30 + 2x NR-23 Rest: 2x NR-30 w 60 rpg	1x PTB-400	1x S-21 Ovod-M HVAR 1x S-24 HVAR 1x OFAB-100-120 HE-Frag bomb 1x FAB-100/250/500 1x ZB-360 napalm tank
MiG-21F-13	1x NR-30 w 30 rds	1x PTB-490	1x K-13/R-3S AAM 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 HVAR 1x FAB-100/250/500 1x ZB-360
MiG-21PF/PFS	n/a	1x PTB-490	1x K-13/R-3S 1x RS-2-US AAM 1x UB-16-57U 1x FAB-100/250
MiG-21FL	n/a	1x PTB-490	1x K-13/R-3S 1x UB-16-57U 1x FAB-100/250
MiG-21PFM	n/a	1x PTB-490 1x GP-9 cannon pod w GSh-23-2 w 200 rds	1x K-13/R-3S 1x RS-2-US 1x UB-16-57U 1x FAB-100/250 1x Kh-66 ASM
MiG-21R	n/a	1x PTB-490/PTB-800 800L drop tank Type D daylight PHOTINT pod Type N nighttime PHOTINT pod Type R ELINT pod Type T TV pod SPRD-99 JATO booster	1x R-3S 1x RS-2-US 1x UB-16-57UM 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x ZB-500 napalm tank 1x Kh-66	1x PTB-490 1x UB-16-57UM 1x FAB-100/250/OFAB-100 1x S-24
MiG-21S	n/a	1x PTB-490/PTB-800 1x GP-9 cannon pod 1x SPRD-99	1x R-3R/R-3S 1x RS-2-US 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57UM 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x ZB-500	1x PTB-490 1x R-3R/R-3S 1x UB-16-57UM 1x OFAB-100/FAB-100/250 1x S-24
MiG-21SN	1x PTB-490/PTB-800 1x GP-9 cannon pod 1x SPRD-99 1x RN-25 tactical nuclear bomb	1x R-3R/R-3S 1x RS-2-US 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57UM 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x ZB-500	1x PTB-490 1x R-3R/R-3S 1x UB-16-57UM 1x OFAB-100/FAB-100/250 1x S-24
MiG-21M	1x GSh-23-2L w 200 rds	1x PTB-490/PTB-800 1x SPRD-99	1x R-3S 1x RS-2-US 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100	1x R-3S 1x RS-2-US 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x PTB-490
MiG-21SM	1x GSh-23-2L w 200 rds	1x PTB-490/PTB-800 1x SPRD-99	1x R-3S/R-3R 1x UB-16-57/UB-32 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x ZB-360 1x Kh-66 1x S-24	1x R-3S/R-3R 1x UB-16-57/UB-32 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x ZB-360 1x Kh-66 1x S-24 1x PTB-490
MiG-21MF/MT	1x GSh-23-2L w 200 rds	1x PTB-490/PTB-800 1x SPRD-99	1x R-3S 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100	1x R-3S 2x R-60 AAM on twin rail 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x PTB-490
MiG-21SMT/ST	1x GSh-23-2L w 200 rds	1x PTB-490/PTB-800 1x SPRD-99	1x R-3S/R-3R 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100	1x R-3S/R-3R 2x R-60 AAM on twin rail 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x PTB-490
MiG-21bis	1x GSh-23-2L w 200 rds	1x PTB-490/PTB-800 1x SPRD-99	1x R-3S/R-3R/R-13M 1x R-55 AAM 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100	1x R-3S/R-3R/R-13M 1x R-55 2x R-60/R-60M on twin rail 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x PTB-490
MiG-21bis-D/Lancer	1x GSh-23-2L w 200 rds	1x PTB-490/PTB-800 1x SPRD-99 1x Litening laser designator 1x recce pod	1x R-3S 1x Python 3 AAM 1x AIM-9 AAM 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x Mk82/Mk84 LGB	1x R-3S 1x Python 3 AAM 1x AIM-9 AAM 2x R-60 AAM on twin rail 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x PTB-490
MiG-21-93	1x GSh-23-2L w 200 rds	1x PTB-490/PTB-800 1x SPRD-99	1x R-3S/R-3R/R-13M 1x R-27R1 AAM 1x R-55 AAM 1x R-73 AAM 1x R-77 AAM 1x Kh-25MP ASM 1x Kh-31A/Kh-31P ASM 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x KAB-500Kr LGB	1x R-3S/R-3R/R-13M 1x R-27R1 1x R-55 1x R-73 1x R-77 2x R-60/R-60M on twin rail 1x Kh-25MP 1x Kh-31A/Kh-31P 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x KAB-500Kr LGB 1x PTB-490
MiG-21 Bison	1x GSh-23-2L w 200 rds	1x PTB-490/PTB-800 1x SPRD-99	1x R-3S/R-3R/R-13M 1x R-27R1/R-27T1 AAM 1x R-55 AAM 1x R-73E AAM 1x R-77 AAM 1x Kh-25MP 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x KAB-500Kr LGB	1x R-3S/R-3R/R-13M 1x R-27R1 1x R-55 1x R-73E 1x R-77 2x R-60/R-60M on twin rail 1x Kh-25MP 1x Kh-66 1x UB-16-57U 1x S-24 1x FAB-100/250/500/OFAB-100 1x KAB-500Kr LGB 1x PTB-490

[edit] Operational history

[edit] Vietnam

MiG-21F in Vietnam People's Air Force markings exhibited at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

The MiG-21 initially achieved renown in the Vietnam War, during which it saw frequent action. It was one of the most advanced aircraft at the time; however, many North Vietnamese aces preferred flying the MiG-17, since the high wing loading on the MiG-21 made it less maneuverable than the MiG-17. Although the MiG-21 lacked the long-range radar, missiles, and heavy bombing payload of its contemporary multi-mission U.S. fighters, it proved a challenging adversary in the hands of experienced pilots especially when used in high speed hit and run attacks under GCI control. MiG-21 intercepts of F-105 strike groups were effective in downing US aircraft or forcing them to jettison their bomb loads.

By the bombing halt in Operation Rolling Thunder in 1968, poor air-to-air combat loss-exchange ratios against smaller, more agile enemy MiGs during the early part of the Vietnam War eventually led the USAF to establish Dissimilar Air Combat Training programs such as Navy "Top Gun", these two programs employed subsonic A-4 Skyhawk and F-5 Tiger II aircraft to mimic the performance of more maneuverable opponents like the MiG-17 and MiG-21. Over the course of the Vietnam War, between 26 April 1965 and 8 January 1973, each side claimed favorable kill ratios.

Two MiG-21s were shot down by U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress tail gunners, the only confirmed air-to-air kills by the B-52. The first was on 18 December 1972, downed by tail gunner SSgt Samuel Turner, who was awarded the Silver Star for his feat.^[5] The second shoot-down took place on December 24, 1972, when A1C Albert E. Moore downed a MiG-21 over the Thai Nguyen railroad yards, also as part of Operation Linebacker II.^[6] Two days after the second shootdown, a VPAF MiG-21MF flown by Phạm Tuân over Hanoi, North Vietnam on 26 December 1972 was responsible for the only claimed air combat kill of a U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress in history. The B-52 had been circling above Hanoi during Operation Linebacker II^[1].

Year-by-Year Kill Claims involving MiG-21s ^[1]

1966: US claimed 6 MiG-21s destroyed; North Vietnam claimed 7 F-4s and 11 F-105s killed by MiG-21s.
1967: US claimed 21 MiG-21s destroyed; North Vietnam claimed 17 F-105s, 11 F-4s, 2 RF-101s, one A-4, one F-8, one EB-66 and three unidentified types killed by MiG-21s.
1968: US claimed 9 MiG-21s destroyed; North Vietnam claimed 17 US aircraft killed by MiG-21s.
1969: US destroyed 3 MiG-21s; one Firebee UAV killed by a MiG-21.
1970: US destroyed 2 MiG-21s; North Vietnam claimed one F-4 and one HH-53 killed by MiG-21s.
1972: US claimed 51 MiG-21s destroyed; North Vietnam claimed 53 US aircraft killed by MiG-21s, including one B-52. Soviet General Fesenko recorded 34 MiG-21s lost out of 51 Vietnamese losses during the year.

US sources often cite lower numbers admitted to be lost in air-to-air combat, often because pilots seemed to feel that being brought down by a SAM was less "embarrassing" than losing in a dogfight. ^[1]

[edit] Middle East

The MiG-21 was also used extensively in the Middle East conflicts of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s by the air forces of Egypt, Syria and Iraq against Israel. The MiG-21 first encountered Israeli Mirage IIICs on 14 November 1964, but it wasn't until 14 July 1966 that the first MiG-21 was shot down. Another six Syrian MiG-21s were shot down by Israeli Mirages on 7 April 1967. The MiG-21 would face F-4 Phantom IIs and A-4 Skyhawks later in the 1970s, but was later outclassed by the more modern F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon, which were acquired by Israel beginning in the 1980s. The MiG-21 was also used in the early stages of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979.

During the Six Day War, the Israelis attacked in three waves on the first day. In the first wave, IDF aircraft destroyed 8 Egyptian aircraft in air-to-air combat, of which seven were MiG-21s; in return, the Egyptians destroyed ten Israeli aircraft - four or five of these kills were scored by MiG-21PFs. During the second wave the Israelis destroyed 4 MiG-21s in air-to-air combat, and the third wave saw the destruction of two Syrian and one Iraqi MiG-21s. All told, the Egyptians lost around 100 of about 110 MiG-21s, almost all on the ground; the Syrians lost 35 of 60 MiG-21F-13s and MiG-21PFs in the air and on the ground.^[1]

Between the end of the Six Day War and the start of the War of Attrition, IDF Mirage fighters had six confirmed kills of Egyptian MiG-21s, in exchange for Egyptian MiG-21s scoring two confirmed and three probable kills against Israeli aircraft. During the War of Attrition itself, the Israelis scored 56 confirmed kills against Egyptian MiG-21s, while Egyptian MiG-21s scored 14 confirmed and 12 probable kills against IDF aircraft. During this same time period, from the end of the Six Day War to the end of the War of Attrition, the Israelis claimed a total of 25 Syrian MiG-21s destroyed; the Syrians scored three confirmed and four probable kills of Israel aircraft. ^[1]. On 22 June 1970, a Soviet pilot flying an Egyptian MiG-21MF killed an Israeli A-4. 30 July was a fruitful day for Israeli pilots. Asher Smir, flying a Mirage IIICJ, destroyed an Egyptian MiG-21MF flown by a Soviet pilot; Avihu Ben-Nun and Avie Stella, both piloting F-4Es, each killed an Egyptian MiG-21MF, and an unidentified pilot in another Mirage scored a fourth kill against the Soviet-flown MiG-21s. However, during the 1970 combats, Soviet-piloted Egyptian MiG-21s destroyed a total of 21 Israeli aircraft, while taking very few losses of their own; this helped to convince the Israelis to bring the war to an end.^[1]

In September 1973 a large air battle erupted between the Syrians and the Israelis; the Israelis claimed a total of 12 Syrian MiG-21s destroyed, while the Syrians claimed 8 kills scored by MiG-21s and admitted 5 losses; historians now estimate three Israeli and 12 Syrian losses.^[1]

During the Yom Kippur War, in the "Air Battle of el-Mansoura" Egypt, Israel launched a large scale raid with over 100 aircraft – F-4 Phantoms and A-4 Skyhawks – attempting to hit the huge air base at el-Mansourah. It culminated in an almost continuous dogfight lasting no less than 53 minutes. According to Egyptian estimates over 180 aircraft were involved at one time, the majority belonging to the Israelis. At 10:00pm local time Cairo Radio broadcast “Communiqué Number 39”, announcing that there had been several air battles that day over a number of Egyptian airfields, that most intensive being over the northern Delta area. It also claimed that 15 enemy aircraft had been downed by Egyptian fighters for the loss of three Egyptian aircraft, while an even greater number of Israelis had been shot down by the Army and the Air Defense Forces over Sinai and the Suez Canal. For its part, Israel Radio claimed, early the following morning, that the IAF had shot down 15 Egyptian aircraft, a figure subsequently reduced to seven. Following a more detailed analysis after the war had ended, the EAF actually increased its original claims and now asserts that the results of the el-Mansourah air battle were as follows: 17 Israeli aircraft confirmed shot down for the loss of six MiGs. Of the EAF aircraft lost, three were shot down by the enemy, two crashed because they ran out of fuel before their pilots could return to base and a third blew up after flying through the debris of an exploding Phantom which it had just shot down. ^[7] On the Egyptian front, the Israelis claimed a total of 73 confirmed kills of Egyptian MiG-21s, against 27 confirmed kills of Israeli aircraft by Egyptian MiG-21s, plus 8 probables.^[1] On the Syrian front of the war, 6 October 1973 saw a flight of Syrian MiG-21MFs kill an IDF A-4 and a Mirage IIICJ while losing three of their number to Israeli IAI Neshers. On 7 October, Syrian MiG-21MFs killed two Israeli F-4Es, three Mirage IIICJs and an A-4 while losing two of their number to Neshers and one to an F-4E, plus two to friendly SAM fire. Iraqi MiG-21PFs also operated on this front, and on that same day killed two A-4Es while losing one MiG-21. On 8 October 1973 Syrian MiG-21PFMs killed three F-4Es, but six of the MiG-21s were lost. By the end of the war, Syrian MiG-21s accounted for a total of 30 confirmed kills against Israeli aircraft; 29 MiG-21s were destroyed by the IDF. ^[1]

Egypt would eventually be shipped some American Sidewinder missiles, and these were fitted to their MiG-21s and successfully used in combat against Libyan MiG-23s during the brief Libyan-Egyptian War of July 1977.

**Libya vs Egypt Conflicts: MiG-21s in Air-to-Air Combat** ^[1]
Date	Aircraft Scoring Kill	Victim
22 July 1977	LARAF Mirage 5DE	EAF MiG-21MF
23 July 1977	EAF MiG-21MFs	3 (or 4) LARAF Mirage + 1 LARAF MiG-23MS
1979	EAF MiG-21MF	LARAF MiG-23MS

Between the end of the War of Attrition and 6 June 1982, the Israelis had received modern F-15s and F-16s, which were far superior to the older Syrian MiG-21MFs. These new planes accounted for the destruction of 24 Syrian MiG-21s over this time period, though the Syrians did manage to kill five IDF aircraft with their MiG-21s armed with outdated K-13 missiles. ^[1]

The 1982 Lebanon War started on 6 June 1982, and in the course of that war the IDF destroyed about 45 Syrian MiG-21MFs. The Syrians claimed two confirmed and 15 probable kills of Israeli aircraft. ^[1]

[edit] India

The Indian Air Force has been one of the largest users of the MiG-21 since its initial employment of the plane in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965 and later Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. That war witnessed the first supersonic air combat in the subcontinent when an Indian MiG-21FLs shot down a PAF F-104 Starfighter with its GSh-23 twin barrelled 23mm cannon.^[8], thereafter it shot down 3 more F-104 starfighers & one MIG-19 before the war ended. It was also used as late as 1999 in the Kargil War in which one Indian Air Force MiG-21 was shot down by The Pakistani Handheld Stinger Surface to air missile.^[9] The MiG-21's last known kill took place in 1999 during the Atlantique Incident when two MiG-21 aircraft of the Indian Air Force Intercepted and shot down a Breguet Atlantique reconnaissance aircraft of the Pakistani Navy with R-60MK (AA-8 Aphid), which was flying well into Indian air space.^[10]

**India-Pakistan Conflicts: MiG-21s in Air-to-Air Combat**
Date	Aircraft Scoring Kill	Pilot	Victim
4 September 1965^[11]	IAF MiG-21F-13	?	PAF F-86E
4 December 1971^[1]	IAF MiG-21FL "C1111"	FltLt Manbir Singh	PAF Sabre F.6
6 December 1971^[11]	IAF MiG-21FL	FltLt Samar Bikram Shah	PAF F-6
6 December 1971^[11]	IAF MiG-21FL	?	PAF CC-130
11 December 1971^[1]	IAF MiG-21FL	?	IAF MiG-21FL "C1107" *
12 December 1971^[1]	IAF MiG-21FL "C750"	FltLt Bharat Bhushan Soni	PAF F-104A
12 December 1971^[1]	IAF MiG-21FL	FltLt Niraj Kukreja	PAF F-104A
12 December 1971^[1]	IAF MiG-21FL	SqnLdr Iqbal Singh Bindra	PAF F-104A
14 December 1971^[11]	PAF F-6	A. A. Shafieff	IAF MiG-21FL
16 December 1971^[1]	IAF MiG-21FL	FltLt Samar Bikram Shah	PAF F-6
17 December 1971^[1]	PAF F-86F	FltLt Maqsood Amir	IAF MiG-21FL "C716"
17 December 1971^[11]	IAF MiG-21FL	A. K. Datta	PAF F-104A
17 December 1971^[11]	IAF MiG-21FL	Samar Bikram Shah	PAF F-104A (damaged)
1997^[11]	IAF MiG-21bis	?	PAF
10 August 1999^[1]	IAF MiG-21bis (45 Sqn)	SqnLdr Prashant Kumar Bundela	PAF Br.1150 Atlantic

Accidentally shot down his squadronmate!

[edit] Former Yugoslavia

The MiG-21bis of the Yugoslav Air Force during the 80s.

Yugoslav Air Force pilots standing in front of MiG-21, 1987.

FR Yugoslav Air Force MiG-21UM.

As Yugoslavia had drastically improved relations with the Soviet Union during the 60s, in September 1962 Yugoslav Air Force received first MiG-21F-13 fighters (in Yugoslav military designated as L-12). In the period from 1962 to the early 80s Yugoslavia had bought about 216 MiG-21 aircraft in 9 variants - MiG-21F-13 Fishbed-C (L-12), MiG-21U-400 and U-600 Mongol-A (L-12 and NL-12M), MiG-21PFM Fishbed-F (L-14), MiG21US Mongol-B (NL-14), MiG-21R Fishbed-H (L-14i), MiG-21M Fishbed-J (L-15), MiG-21MF Fishbed-J (L-15M), MiG-21UM Mongol-B (NL-16) and MiG-21bis Fishbed-N and Fishbed-L (L-17 and L-17K). From 1964 to 1992, about 80 aircraft had been lost in accidents.^{[citation needed]} Yugoslav Air force units that operated MiG-21 were 204th fighter-aviation regiment at Batajnica Air Base (126th, 127th and 128th fighter-aviation squadrons), 117th fighter-aviation regiment at Željava Air Base (124th and 125th fighter-aviation squadron and 352nd recon squadron), 83rd fighter-aviation regiment at Slatina Air Base (123rd and 130th fighter aviation squadron), 185th fighter-bomber-aviation squadron (129th fighter-aviation squadron) at Pula and 129th training center at Batajnica air base.

During the early stages of the 1991-1995 Yugoslav wars the Yugoslav People's Army used MiG-21s in a ground-attack role, while Croatian and Slovenian forces did not have air forces at the beginning of the war. Aircraft from air bases in Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina were relocated to air bases in Serbia, so MiG-21s left Željava and Pula air bases. Detailed records show at least seven MiGs were shot down by AA defenses in Croatia and Bosnia^[12]. A MiG-21 piloted by Emir Šišić shot down a EU helicopter that had entered Croatian aerospace with full knowledge of the Yugoslav flight control(but neglected YFC warnings)^[13].

Croatia acquired three MiG-21s in 1992 through defections by Croatian pilots serving with the JNA, two of which were lost in subsequent actions - one to Serbian air defenses, the other in a friendly fire accident[2]. In 1993, Croatia purchased about 40 MiG-21s in violation of arms embargo[3], but only about 20 of these entered service, while the rest were used for spare parts[4]. Croatia used them alongside the sole remaining defector for ground attack missions in operations Flash (during which one was lost[5]) and Storm. The only air to air action for Croatian MiGs was an attempt by two of them to intercept J-22 Oraos of Republika Srpska Air Force on ground attack mission on 7th of August 1995. After some maneuvering both sides disengaged without having fired a single bullet[6].

All the Yugoslav MiG-21s which have evacuated to Serbia after 1992 have continued their service in the "new" FR Yugoslav Air Force. During the 1999 NATO attack on FRY, Yugoslav Air Force lost 33 MiG-21s^[12] on the ground.

[edit] Africa

During the Cold War MiG-21s were supplied to many sub-Saharan African nations by the Soviets. Their most notable use in combat occurred during the Angolan Civil War in the hands of the People's Air and Air Defence Force of Angola. Cuban Air Force pilots also flew MiG-21s over Angola during the War. Both Angolan and Cuban MiG-21s often had encounters with South African Air Force Mirages. On 6 November 1981, Major Johann Rankin in a Mirage F.1CZ scored the SAAF's first kill since the Korean War, downing the MiG-21MF of Lt. Danacio Valdez. On 5 October 1982 an SAAF Mirage 5CZ damaged a MiG-21MF with cannon fire, but the MiG managed to return to base safely. ^[1]

During the Ogaden War of 1977-78, American-supplied Ethiopian F-5Es flown by Israeli pilots met Somalian MiG-21MFs in combat several times; in one lopsided incident, two F-5As engaged four MiG-21MFs, destroying two; the Israeli pilots then watched with amazement as the two remaining MiG-21s collided into each other.^[1] Ironically, Ethiopia also received MiG-21s which were initially flown by Cuban pilots. Ethiopian F-5s flew several simulated dogfights against the top Cuban pilots flying the MiG-21s without any losses.^[14] The Somalis lost ten MiG-21s to Ethiopian F-5As; in return, Somali MiG-21s destroyed four Ethiopian MiG-21MFs, one Canberra bomber and three DC-3s. ^[1]

The aircraft, along with its Chinese copy (the F-7), flew ground sorties during the First and Second Congo Wars, with some in hands of mercenary pilots.

Ethiopia has had a number of armed actions against Eritrea following the latter's independence from the former; both countries have received advanced fighters, the Ethiopians getting Su-27 fighters from Russia, while the Eritreans received MiG-29s from the Ukraine. On 26 February 1999, an Eritrean MiG-29UB destroyed an Ethopian MiG-21bis and a MiG-21MF one after the other, but the MiG-29 was then pounced on by an Ethiopian Su-27 flown by Capt. Aster Tolossa, whose kill of the Eritrean fighter marked the first air-to-air kill scored by a woman in a jet fighter.^[1]. On 18 May 2000 another Eritrean MiG-29 scored another victory against the Ethiopians, killing one MiG-21 and damaging another, before getting shot down in turn by another Ethiopian Su-27.^[1]

[edit] Romania

Beginning in 1993, Russia did not offer spare parts for the MiG-23 and MiG-29 for the Romanian Air Force. Initially, this was the context for the modernization of the Romanian MiG-21's with Elbit systems, and because it was easier for the Romanians to maintain these fighter jets. 110 MiG-21's were modernized under the LanceR designation. Today, only 48 LanceRs are operational for the RoAF. It can use both Western and Eastern armament such as the R-60M, R-73, Magic 2, or Python III missiles. They will be replaced in 2012 when new fighter jets will arrive, such as the F-16, F/A-18, Eurofighter Typhoon or Gripen.

[edit] Known MiG-21 aces

Several pilots have made ace while flying MiG-21s. Of pilots known to have achieved air-to-air victories in a MiG-21, the most successful was Nguyễn Văn Cốc of the Vietnamese People's Air Force, who scored 9 solo kills^[15]. Twelve other VPAF pilots are known to have made ace with MiG-21s: Phạm Thanh Ngân^[1], Nguyễn Hồng Nhị and Mai Văn Cường (each 8 kills); Đặng Ngọc Ngự^[1] (7 kills), Vũ Ngọc Đỉnh^[1], Nguyễn Ngọc Độ^[1], Nguyễn Nhật Chiêu^[1], Lê Thanh Đạo^[1], Nguyễn Đăng Kỉnh^[1], Nguyễn Đức Soát^[1], and Nguyễn Tiến Sâm^[1] (6 kills each), and Nguyễn Văn Nghĩa^[1] (5 kills). Col. Vadim Petrovich Shchbakov is known to have made ace status with 6 kills in the Vietnam War while serving as a pilot instructor.^[16]

Additionally, three Syrian pilots are known to have made ace flying a MiG-21. A pilot named M. Mansour^[17] recorded five (possibly six) solo kills, B. Hamshu^[17] scored five solo kills, and A. el-Gar^[17] tallied four solo and one shared kill, all three in 1973-1974 against Israel.

Due to the incomplete nature of available records, there are several pilots who are not known to have made ace, but may possibly have, including S. A. Razak^[18] of the Iraqi Air Force with 4 known kills scored during the Iran-Iraq War, A. Wafai^[19] of the Egyptian Air Force with 4 known kills against Israel.

For specific information on kills scored by and against MiG-21s sorted by country see the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 operators page.

Known Losses of MiG-21s (accidents or combat)

[edit] Variants

(All information in this section adapted from "MiG-21" by Yefim Gordon & Keith Dexter, ISBN 978 1 85780 257 3.')

MiG-21PFM of Polish Air Force 10th Fighter Reg.

MiG-21MF of Polish Air Force 3rd Tactical Sqn.

Generation Zero (1954-1956): The original developmental prototypes and concepts, to the first (pre)production aircraft. (Major variants: Ye-1, Ye-2, Ye-2A/MiG-23, Ye-4, Ye-50, Ye-50A/MiG-23U, Ye-5, MiG-21).

Generation One (1957-1961): Initial mass-produced versions and further refinements and experiments. (Major variants: Ye-6, Ye-50P, MiG-21F, Ye-6T, MiG-21P-13, MiG-21F-13, Ye-6V).

Generation Two (1961-1966): Further developments led to more advanced versions as dedicated interceptors which underwent near-constant refinements; a dedicated reconnaissance version (with interceptor capability) and a nuclear-strike variant were also developed. (Major variants: MiG-21PF/FL, Ye-7SPS, MiG-21PFS, Ye-7M, MiG-21PFM, Ye-7R, MiG-21R, Ye-7S, MiG-21S, MiG-21N, MiG-21PD).

Generation Three (1968-1972): Development of the MiG-21 kept constantly moving with the times, from the MiG-21M to the ultimate variant, the MiG-21bis produced into the 1980s. (Major variants: MiG-21M, MiG-21I, MiG-21K, MiG-21Sh, MiG-21SM, MiG-21MF, MiG-21DF, MiG-21SMF, MiG-21MT, MiG-21SMT, MiG-21ST, MiG-21bis).

Trainer Variants (1960-1968+): Trainer variants of the MiG-21 started being developed in 1960, and continued until the final design in 1968, which was manufactured for many years afterwards. (Major variants: Ye-6U, MiG-21U, MiG-21US, MiG-21UM).

**Avionics of MiG-21 variants**
Model	Radio	IFF	ADF*	RWR	Gunsight	Radar **	ATC Transponder	GCI Cmd Link	Radionav System
MiG-21 (izd. 65)	RSIU-4V Klyon	SRO-2 Khrom	ARK-5 Amur	SPO-2 Sirena-2	ASP-5N-V3	SRD-1M Konus*	SOD-57 Globus	Gorizont-1V	-
MiG-21F (izd. 72)	R-800	SRO-2 Khrom	ARK-54N	SPO-2 Sirena-2	ASP-5NV-UI	SRD-5MN Baza-6*	SOD-57 Globus	Gorizont-1V?	-
MiG-21F-13 (izd. 74)	R-802	SRO-2 Khrom	ARK-10	SPO-2 Sirena-2	ASP-5ND	SRD-5ND Kvant*	SOD-57M Globus-2	Gorizont-1V?	-
MiG-21PF (izd. 76)	RSIU-5V	SRZO-2 Khrom-Nikel'	ARK-54I	SPO-2 Sirena-2	PKI	RP-9-21 (batch 1-6); RP-21 (7 on)	SOD-57M Globus-2	ARL-S Lazur'	-
MiG-21PF (izd. 76A)	RSIU-5	SRO-2 Khrom	ARK-10*	SPO-2 Sirena-2	PKI	RP-9-21	SOD-57M Globus-2	ARL-S Lazur'	-
MiG-21FL (izd. 77)	RSIU-5G	SRO-1	ARK-10*	SPO-2 Sirena-2	PKI	R1L	SOD-57M Globus-2	?	-
MiG-21PFM (izd. 94)	RSIU-5V	SRZO-2M Khrom-Nikel'	ARK-10	SPO-2 Sirena-2	PKI	RP-21M	SOD-57M Globus-2	ARL-S Lazur'	Iskra
MiG-21PFM (izd. 94A)	RSIU-5	SRZO-2 Khrom-Nikel'	ARK-10*	SPO-2 Sirena-2	PKI	RP-21MA	SOD-57M Globus-2	ARL-S Lazur'	Iskra
MiG-21R (izd. 03/94R)	RSIU-5V	SRZO-2M Khrom-Nikel'	ARK-10	SPO-3 Sirena-3	PKI	RP-21M	SOD-57M Globus-2	ARL-S Lazur'	Iskra
MiG-21R (izd. 94RA)	RSIU-5	SRZO-2 Khrom-Nikel'	ARK-10	SPO-3 Sirena-3	PKI	RP-21MA	SOD-57M Globus-2	ARL-S Lazur'	Iskra
MiG-21S/SN (izd. 95/95N)	RSIU-5V	SRZO-2M Khrom-Nikel'	ARK-10	SPO-10	ASP-PF-21	RP-22 (Sapfir-22)	SOD-57M Globus-2	ARL-S Lazur'-M	?
MiG-21M (izd. 96)	RSIU-5	SRZO-2 Khrom-Nikel'	ARK-10	SPO-3 Sirena-3M	ASP-PFD	RP-21MA	SOD-57M Globus-2	ARL-S Lazur'	?
MiG-21SM (izd. 95M/15)	RSIU-5V	SRZO-2M Khrom-Nikel'	ARK-10	SPO-10	ASP-PFD	RP-22	SOD-57M Globus-2	ARL-S Lazur'-M	?
MiG-21bis (PVO; izd. 75)	RSIU-5V	SRZO-2M Khrom-Nikel'	ARK-10	SPO-10	ASP-PFD-M	RP-22M	SOD-57M Globus-2	ARL-S Lazur'-M	none?
MiG-21bis (VVS; izd. 75)	RSIU-5V	SRZO-2M Khrom-Nikel'	ARK-10	SPO-10	ASP-PFD-M	RP-22M	SOD-57M Globus-2	none	RSBN-4N
MiG-21bis (izd. 75A)	RSIU-5	SRZO-2 Khrom-Nikel'	ARK-10	SPO-3 Sirena-3M	ASP-PFD	RP-21M	SOD-57M Globus-2	ARL-S Lazur'-M	none?
MiG-21bis (izd. 75B)	RSIU-5	SRZO-2 Khrom-Nikel'	ARK-10	SPO-3 Sirena-3M"	ASP-PFD	RP-21M	SOD-57M Globus-2	none	RSBN-2N

Notes to table: * ADF = Automatic direction finder; an asterisk by the name means there is no DME module present. ** = An asterisk by the name indicates a rangefinding-only unit.

[edit] Upgrade Programs

MiG-21-93: Russia now offers an upgrade package to bring late-model MiG-21s up to the MiG-21-93 standard. This package provides an upgrade of the avionics suite that includes installation of the Kopyo pulse-doppler radar used by the MiG-29, which enables the aircraft to fire a greater range of modern weapons such as the beyond-visual-range Vympel R-77 air-to-air missile. The upgraded avionics also enhance the aircraft's survivability as well as its ability to engage enemy fighters. Other upgrade features include installation of a dual-screen HUD, helmet-mounted target designator, and advanced flight control systems.

MiG-21 2000

MiG-21-2000: Single-seat 21st century version for export buyers. Made by Israel Aerospace Industries^[20].
MiG-21 LanceR: MiG-21 LanceR 'C' taking off from the RoAF 71st Air Base

Romanian Air Force MiG-21 UM LanceR-B

Upgraded version for the Romanian Air Force done by Elbit of Israel and Aerostar SA of Romania. The LanceR-A version is optimized for ground attack being able to deliver precision guided munitions of eastern and western origin as well as R-60, R-73 and Python III air to air missiles. The LanceR-B version is the trainer version and the LanceR-C version is the air superiority version featuring 2 LCD MFDs, helmet mounted sight and the Elta EL/M-2032 Air combat radar.[7]

IAF MiG-21 Bison

MiG-21 Bison: Upgraded version for export and Indian Air Force is the first customer. Armed with Phazotron Kopyo (Spear) airborne radar, which is capable of simultaneously tracking 8 targets and engage 2 of the 8 target tracked with semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile such as Vympel R-27. The radar also enable to fighter to deploy active radar homing air-to-air missile such as Vympel R-77 when additional channel is incorporated. Russian advertise has claimed that this version is equivalent to early F-16. It performed well against F-15 and F-16s of the USAF during Indo-US joint air exercises.
MiG-21-97: MiG-21-93 upgrade. MiG-21-93 re-engined with Klimov RD-33 engine. Russians have claimed that the evaluation at Ramenskoye Airport had shown that this version had beaten simulated F-16 in mocked dogfight with a score of 4:1.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Foreign-built variants

China (PRC)

Chinese-built variants of the MiG-21 are designated Chengdu J-7 and F-7 (for export). Only the initial version of the J-7 was a copy of a MiG-21 variant, namely the MiG-21F-13. Though an agreement had been reached between China and the USSR for licence production of the MiG-21 in China, political relations soured between the two countries, causing Soviet assistance to stop. This forced the Chinese to reverse-engineer parts of the handful of MiG-21F-13s supplied from the USSR, in order to make up for blueprints and documentation that had not yet been shipped over from the USSR at the time of the political rift. All subsequent development of the J-7 was indigenous to China and different from Soviet-made versions.^[1]

Czechoslovakia

Between 1962 and 1972 the MiG-21F-13 version was manufactured under license by Aero Vodochody, in Czechoslovakia. Aero Vodochody (then Středočeské strojírny, n.p.), built a total of 194 planes during this period, under the cover designation article Z-159. It followed the MiG-15 and MiG-19S built in Vodochody factory from the fifties to sixties. The sole locally-built version of the MiG-21F-13 differed externally from the Soviet-built examples by the solid dural sheet fairing behind the cockpit canopy, as opposed to the transparent one on the original Soviet MiGs. These machines were built for the Czechoslovak Air Force and also for export. The R13-300 engines were imported from the Soviet Union.

India

The production of the MiG-21s in India under license by Hindustan Aeronautics in Nasik started with the MiG-21FL in 1966 in four phases starting with the assembly of CKD kits, moving on to subassemblies, parts, and finally advancing to production from scratch. 205 MiG-21FLs, designated Type 77 and nicknamed Trishul ("Trident), were built in India between 1966 and 1972; the first one built entirely from Indian-made components was delivered to the IAF on 19 October 1970, with the first Indian-made R11F2S-300 powerplant leaving the assembly line on 2 January 1969. In 1971 HAL production was switched to an improved version of the MiG-21M (izdeliye 96), which was designated Type 88 by HAL; as this variant was produced exclusively in India, no izdeliye designation is applicable. The first Type 88 MiG-21M was delivered to the IAF on 14 February 1973 and the last on 12 November 1981, with a total of 158 built. The last variant to be produced by HAL was the MiG-21bis. 75 were built in 1977 from CKD kits, and a further 220 were built from scratch by 1984^[1]. Despite a series of crashes during the 1990s, the Indian Air Force has decided to upgrade about 125 of the MiG-21bis in its inventory to the MiG-21 "Bison" standard. These will serve the Indian Air Force until 2025.

[edit] Operators

Main article: MiG-21 Operators

Current operators of the MiG-21 in bright red and former operators in dark red

Two seater MiG-21UM, Polish Air Force, markings of 3rd Tactical Sqn.

Serbian Air Force MiG-21 bis N.17161 from 101. Fighter Squadron from 204th Air Base.

A Bulgarian MiG-21 taxis at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria during a bilateral exercise between the U.S. and Bulgarian air forces.

Croatian Air Force MiG-21 UMD

[edit] Current operators

This list does not include operators of Chinese copies / licensed manufactured versions known as the Chengdu J-7.

Azerbaijan ^[1]
Bulgaria ^[1]
Cambodia ^[1]
Croatia ^[1]
Cuba ^[1]
Egypt ^[1]
Ethiopia ^[1]
Georgia ^[1]
Guinea ^[1]
India ^[1]
Libya ^[1]
Mali ^[1]
Namibia ^[1]
North Korea ^[1]
Romania ^[1]
Serbia ^[1]
Sudan ^[1]
Syria ^[1]
Uganda ^[1]
Vietnam ^[1]
Yemen ^[1]
Zambia ^[1]

[edit] Former operators

Afghanistan ^[1]
Algeria ^[1]
Angola ^[1]
Bangladesh ^[1]
Belarus
Burkina Faso ^[1]
China ^[1]
Congo, Republic of the ^[1]
Czechoslovakia ^[1] (Passed on to Czech Republic and Slovak Republic.)
Czech Republic ^[1]
East Germany ^[1] (Passed on to Germany on reunification.)
Eritrea ^[1]
Finland ^[1]
Germany ^[1]
Guinea-Bissau ^[1]
Hungary ^[1]
Indonesia ^[1]
Iraq ^[1]
Israel ^[1]
Kyrgyzstan ^[1]
Laos ^[1]
Madagascar ^[1]
Mongolia ^[1]
Mozambique ^[1]
Nigeria ^[1]
Poland ^[1]
Russia ^[1]
Slovakia ^[1]
Somalia ^[1]
Tanzania ^[1]
USSR ^[1] (Passed on to successor states.)
USA ^[1]
Ukraine ^[1]
North Yemen ^[1]
South Yemen ^[1]
Yugoslavia ^[1] (Passed on to FR Yugoslavia)
FR Yugoslavia ^[1] (Passed on to Serbia)

[edit] Civil operators

Some aircraft are now owned and flown by private collectors as warbirds. There are even importers in the U.S. that purchase MiG-21s, MiG-15s and MiG-17s from Russia and other states and sell them to civilians for around $45,000.

[edit] Specifications (Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F-13)

Data from ^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 15.76 (with pitot) m (51 ft 8.47 in)
Wingspan: 7.154 m (23 ft 5.66 in)
Height: 4.1 m (13 ft 5.41 in)
Wing area: 23.0 m² (247.3 ft²)
Empty weight: 4,871 kg (10,738 lb)
Gross weight: 7,100 kg (15,650 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Tumanskiy R11F-300, 37.27 kN (8,380 lbf) thrust dry, 56.27 kN (12,650 lbf) with afterburner each

Performance

Maximum speed: 2,175 km/h (1,350 mph)
Maximum speed: Mach 2.05
Range: 1,580 km (981 miles)
Service ceiling: 19,000 m (62,335 ft)

Armament

1x internal 30 mm NR-30 cannon, plus
2x K-13 or K-13A (R-3S) AAM or
2x 500 kg (1,102 lbs) of bombs

[edit] Specifications (Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21PFM)

Data from ^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 14.5 (with pitot) m (47 ft 6.86 in)
Wingspan: 7.154 m (23 ft 5.66 in)
Height: 4.125 m (13 ft 6.41 in)
Wing area: 23.0 m² (247.3 ft²)
Gross weight: 7,800 kg (17,195 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Tumanskiy R11F2S-300, 38.74 kN (8,710 lbf) thrust dry, 60.54 kN (13,610 lbf) with afterburner each

Performance

Maximum speed: 2,230 km/h (1,385 mph)
Maximum speed: Mach 2.05
Range: 1,670 km (1,037 miles)
Service ceiling: 19,000 m (62,335 ft)

Armament

1x GP-9 cannon pod with 23 mm GSh-23 cannon, plus
2x K-13A (R-3S) AAM or
2x 500 kg (1,102 lbs) of bombs

[edit] Specifications (Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21bis)

Data from ^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 15.0 (with pitot) m (49 ft 2.5 in)
Wingspan: 7.154 m (23 ft 5.66 in)
Height: 4.125 m (13 ft 6.41 in)
Wing area: 23.0 m² (247.3 ft²)
Empty weight: 5,339 kg (11,770 lb)
Gross weight: 8,725 kg (19,235 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Tumanskiy R25-300, 40.21 kN (9,040 lbf) thrust dry, 69.62 kN (15,650 lbf) with afterburner each

Performance

Maximum speed: 2,350 km/h (1,468 mph)
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2
Range: (internal fuel) 1,210 km (751 miles)
Service ceiling: 17,800 m (58,400 ft)

Armament

1x internal 23 mm GSh-23 cannon, plus
2x K-13A (R-3R) or 4x Molniya R-60 AAM or
2x 500 kg (1,102 lbs) of bombs

[edit] Specifications (Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21-93)

Data from ^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 14.5 (with pitot) m (47 ft 6.86 in)
Wingspan: 7.154 m (23 ft 5.66 in)
Height: 4.125 m (13 ft 6.41 in)
Wing area: 23.0 m² (247.3 ft²)
Gross weight: 8,825 kg (19,425 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Tumanskiy R25-300, 40.21 kN (9,040 lbf) thrust dry, 69.62 kN (15,650 lbf) with afterburner each

Performance

Maximum speed: 2,350 km/h (1,468 mph)
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2
Range: (internal fuel) 1,210 km (751 miles)
Service ceiling: 17,800 m (58,400 ft)

Armament

1x internal 23 mm GSh-23 cannon, plus
2x R-27R1 or R-27T1 or 4x R-60M or R-73E AAM or
2x 500 kg (1,102 lbs) of bombs

[edit] See also

2002 Jalandhar India MiG-21 crash
Munir Redfa
Flight airspeed record
Doru Davidovici, Romanian Air Force pilot and writer, in whose narrative MiG-21 is seen as an actual character.

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay ^az ^ba ^bb ^bc ^bd ^be ^bf ^bg ^bh ^bi ^bj ^bk ^bl ^bm ^bn ^bo ^bp ^bq ^br ^bs ^bt ^bu ^bv ^bw ^bx ^by ^bz ^ca ^cb ^cc ^cd ^ce ^cf ^cg ^ch ^ci ^cj ^ck ^cl ^cm ^cn ^co ^cp ^cq ^cr ^cs ^ct ^cu ^cv ^cw ^cx ^cy ^cz ^da ^db ^dc ^dd ^de ^df ^dg ^dh ^di ^dj Gordon, Yefim "MiG-21" ISBN 978 1 85780 257 3
^ http://lotniczapolska.pl/MiG-21-%E2%80%93-naddzwiekowy-olowek-,231
^ Now called Nizhny Novgorod.
^ Engines of the MiG-21
^ http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM3BYN The plaque on SSgt Turner's grave
^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20070716/ai_n19374004 The Colorado Springs Gazette, Jul 16, 2007
^ AirEnthusiast, Volume 100 (July/August 2002)
^ The 1971 Liberation War: Supersonic Air Combat (Bharat-Rakshak.com)
^ Indian pilot 'killed in cold blood'
^ Atlantique Incident has complete details with sources.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Indian Air-to-Air Victories since 1948 (acig.org)
^ ^a ^b Avijacija bez granica web site dedicated to JNA and successor air forces, containing detailed info on each documented air loss (Serbian)
^ http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/printer_381.shtml
^ Cuban Defector Recalls Life as a Top Officer - New York Times
^ North Vietnamese Aces (AcePilots.com)
^ Task Force Russia 18th Report
^ ^a ^b ^c http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_272.shtml
^ Iraqi Air-to-Air Victories since 1967
^ http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_271.shtml
^ Airforce Technology.com article

Mig-19

2009-06-16T01:01:00.000-07:00

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-19) (NATO reporting name "Farmer") is a Soviet second-generation, single-seat, twin jet-engined fighter aircraft. It was the first Soviet production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. A comparable U.S. "Century Series" fighter was the F-100 Super Sabre, although it would oppose the more modern F-4 Phantom II and F-105 Thunderchief over Vietnam.

MiG-19

Role	Fighter
Manufacturer	Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB
First flight	18 September 1953
Introduced	March 1955
Status	Few operational
Primary users	Soviet Air Force People's Liberation Army Air Force
Number built	2,172 (excl. China)
Variants	Shenyang J-6 Nanchang Q-5

Design and development

On 20 April 1951, OKB-155 was given the order to develop the MiG-17 into a new fighter called "I-340", which was to be powered by two Mikulin AM-5 non-afterburning jet engines (a scaled-down version of the Mikulin AM-3) with 19.6 kN (4,410 lbf) of thrust. The I-340 was supposed to attain 1,160 km/h (725 mph, Mach 0.97) at 2,000 m (6,562 ft), 1,080 km/h (675 mph, Mach 1.0) at 10,000 m (32,808 ft), climb to 10,000 m (32,808 ft) in 2.9 minutes, and have a service ceiling of no less than 17,500 m (57,415 ft). The new fighter, internally designated "SM-1", was designed around the "SI-02" airframe (a MiG-17 prototype) modified to accept two engines in a side-by-side arrangement and was completed in March 1952.

The prototype suffered from poor cockpit pressurization and the engines proved temperamental with frequent flameouts and surges with rapid throttle movements. The engines were upgraded to the AM-5A standard with 21.1 kN (4,740 lbf) of thrust each, which exceeded the power output of the Klimov VK-1F in afterburner while providing better fuel economy. The SM-1 was barely supersonic, reaching 1,193 km/h (745 mph) at 5,000 m (16,404 ft) — Mach 1.03. This performance was deemed insufficient for the new supersonic fighter and an afterburning version of the engine, the AM-5F, was proposed. While not implemented, the AM-5F served as the basis for the Tumansky RD-9 which powered production aircraft. Further development of the twin-engine concept resulted in a government request for the "I-360", internally designated "SM-2", which was also powered by the AM-5F engines, but featured a highly swept wing.

On 15 August 1953, the Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB was given a new order to create a frontline fighter. The OKB was asked to create two designs — a single-engined version with the Klimov VK-7 and a twin-engine version with Mikulin AM-9Fs. The twin-engine fighter, internally designated "SM-9" — but also assigned the production name MiG-19 — was based on the earlier SM-2 prototype. The first airframe, "SM-9/1" flew on 5 January 1954. The afterburner did not light in the first flight, but in the second flight the aircraft reached Mach 1.25 at 8,050 m (26,411 ft). This was improved to Mach 1.44 in subsequent flights. Based on this promising performance, the MiG-19 was ordered into production on 17 February 1954, even though government acceptance trials did not start until September of that year. The first production aircraft rolled off the assembly line in March 1955.

MiG-19 armed with four air-to-air missiles.

Initial enthusiasm for the aircraft was dampened by several problems. The most alarming of these was the danger of a midair explosion due to overheating of the fuselage fuel tanks located between the engines. Deployment of airbrakes at high speeds caused a high-g pitch-up. Elevators lacked authority at supersonic speeds. The high landing speed of 230 km/h (145 mph) (compared to 160 km/h/100 mph in the MiG-15), combined with absence of a two-seat trainer version, slowed pilot transition to the type. Handling problems were addressed with the second prototype, "SM-9/2", which added a third ventral airbrake and introduced all-moving tailplanes with a damper to prevent pilot-induced oscillations at subsonic speeds. It flew on 16 September 1954, and entered production as the MiG-19S.

A total of approximately 5,500 MiG-19s were produced, first in the USSR and in Czechoslovakia as the Avia S-105, but mainly in the People's Republic of China as the Shenyang J-6. The aircraft saw service with a number of other national air forces, including those of Cuba, North Vietnam, Egypt, Pakistan, and North Korea. The aircraft saw combat during the Vietnam War, the 1967 Six Day War, and the 1971 Bangladesh War.

All Soviet-built MiG-19 variants are single-seaters only. Although the Chinese developed the JJ-6 trainer version of the Shenyang J-6, the Soviets believed that the MiG-19's handling was easy enough no special conversion trainer was needed (other than the MiG-15UTI).

In the USSR, the MiG-19 was superseded by the MiG-21. The Shenyang J-6 remained a staple of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force until the 1980s and has also been developed into the Nanchang Q-5 (NATO reporting name "Fantan") attack aircraft. Despite its age, the MiG-19 and its descendants exhibit good handling characteristics at low altitude and a surprisingly high rate of climb, and their heavy cannon armament — a one-second burst from three 30 mm NR-30 cannons had a projectile mass of 18 kg (40 lb) — makes them formidable adversaries in close combat.

Russian built MiG-19s still are in service in North Korea, Myanmar (Burma), Zambia and Sudan.

Operational history

During their service with Soviet Anti-Air Defense and in East Germany, MiG-19s were involved in multiple intercepts of Western reconnaissance aircraft. The first documented encounter with a Lockheed U-2 took place in the autumn of 1957. The MiG-19 pilot reported seeing the aircraft, but could not make up the 2,234 m (7,000 ft) difference in altitude. When Francis Gary Powers's U-2 was shot down in the 1960 incident, one pursuing MiG-19P was also hit by the salvo of S-75 Dvina (NATO: SA-2 'Guideline') missiles, killing the pilot Sergei Safronov. In a highly controversial incident, on 1 July 1960, a MiG-19 shot down an RB-47H (S/N 53-4281) reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace over the Arctic Circle with four of the crew killed and two captured by the Soviets (they were released in 1961). In another incident, on 28 January 1964, a MiG-19 shot down a T-39 Sabreliner which had strayed into East German airspace while on a training mission; all three crewmembers were killed.

Vietnam War

While most of North Vietnam's MiG-17 and MiG-21s were supplied by the Soviet Union, the bulk of their MiG-19s (J-6 models) were supplied by Communist China. The first use and loss of a U.S. fighter to a MiG-19 (J-6) was in 1965 when a USAF F-104 Starfighter piloted by LTC Philip E. Smith was jumped by a Communist Chinese aircraft near Hainan Island. His Starfighter took cannon fire which damaged a portion of his wing and missile mount. LTC Philips gave chase and did receive missile tone on the MiG, and within a millisecond of pressing his missile firing button, his Starfighter lost all power, and he had to eject. LTC Philips was held prisoner until his release in 1972, coincidentally during U.S. President Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1972.

North Vietnam's Air Force used the MiG-19 much later in the air war than the MiG-17 and the MiG-21. MiG-19s saw combat during Operations Linebacker 1 and Linebacker 2. The NVAF claimed only three victories over American F-4 Phantom IIs using the MiG-19. Primarily because of the aircraft's twin engines, the MiG-19 wasn't favored by North Vietnamese pilots. The MiG-17 had maneuverability, and the MiG-21 had speed, the MiG-19 had a combination of both, but not to the same degree as the others. Vietnam used the MiG-19 from the 1970s until the 1980s when it was replaced by newer aircraft. However, compared to the F-4 Phantom II, although lacking mounts for air-to-air missiles it had the one advantage that the early model Phantoms did not have: it was armed with cannons. A major victory was scored by the NVAF in which MiG-19 cannon fire brought down the F-4 Phantom of USAF Major Robert Lodge and his WSO 1st Lt Roger Locher. Combat results of the MiG-19 in VPAF service were three victories for 10 losses. An F4 Phantom piloted by Phil Handley scored the only recorded supersonic gunkill in history against a MiG-19 during the Vietnam War on June 2, 1972.

China

The MiG-19 apparently was in front line service with the Red Chinese, and saw limited combat against their common adversary, the Taiwan Air Force (Nationalist China). One major air battle between Red and Nationalist Chinese aircraft occurred in 1967, with 12 J-6s taking on four Lockheed F-104 Starfighters. The MiGs, reportedly received the worst of it, with two losses and no kills.

There were reports of Communist Chinese J-6s (MiG-19s) flying combat missions during infrequent border squabbles with the Soviets, though with no records of dogfights, and encounters during the Vietnam War with US aircraft that strayed into Chinese airspace. These confrontations resulted in a few shootdowns of US aircraft, with no recorded losses of Red Chinese planes, although the MiGs sometimes had to make a hasty retreat back into Chinese airspace when the Americans flew in reinforcements.

In 1979, Communist China conducted a punitive military incursion into Vietnam in protest of Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia. The operation did not go well for China, since the Vietnamese had well over ten years of combat experience with the United States, and at least one J-6 was shot down.

Middle East

In 1962. Egyptian MiG-19s saw some action in the ground-attack role during the civil war in Yemen during the early 1960s. The first reported air combat in the Mideast with the MiG-19 was on 29 November 1966, when two Egyptian MiG-19 fighters tangled it up with Israeli Mirage IIICs. The Israelis claimed two kills and no losses to themselves. Many MiG-19s were in service with Egypt and Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967, but most were destroyed on the ground. Despite the unequal contest, Israeli pilots did find the MiG-19 a potentially dangerous adversary because of its performance, maneuverability, and heavy armament.

Following the war, the Egyptians organized the surviving MiG-19 aircraft and assigned them air defense tasks of Egypt's interior. The Soviet Union did not supply Egypt with any replacement of the MiG-19s destroyed in the Six Day War, but Egypt might have received some from Syria and Iraq, so that by the end of 1968 there were 80+ MiG-19s in service with the Egyptian Air Force (EAF). The aircraft also saw combat during the War of Attrition; in one engagement on May 19, 1969, a MiG-19 aircraft engaged two Israeli Mirages, shooting down one with cannon fire while the other escaped.

The Iraqis obtained some MiG-19S fighters in the early 1960s, but later sold them all off, though the survivors did see some action against the Kurds in the 1970s. In 1983, during the Iran-Iraq War, the Iraqis obtained a batch of F-6s through Egypt, while the Iranians acquired a batch of their own F-6s. Neither side made that much use of them during the conflict, and there are no records of MiG-on-MiG dogfights.

Pakistan

The most significant combat seen by the MiG-19 was during the Indo-Pak War in December 1971. The Pakistanis claimed that their F-6s shot down about 10 Indian aircraft, with a loss of four F-6s. Of course, the Indians maintain that the Pakistani claims for kills are inflated and the number of losses are an underestimate.

In any case, the Pakistanis felt the F-6s had acquitted itself well and expanded their fleet. During the Afghan War, Pakistani F-6s would scramble to deal with incursions of Soviet and Afghan aircraft into Pakistani airspace. The intruders were often in "hot pursuit" of Mujahedin guerrillas who were trying to escape back to their sanctuaries in Pakistan, and since it was an open secret that the Pakistanis were supporting the Mujahedin, sometimes the intruders didn't feel like leaving when they were challenged and there are tales of wild air battles. The Pakistanis didn't retire the F-6 until 2002.

Africa

Tanzania flew MiG-19S fighters against Uganda during the war between the two states in 1978 and 1979, while the Sudan used its MiG-19S fighters against separatists in southern Sudan, with at least one shot down. The Somalis flew the F-6 against rebels and the Ethiopians in the 1980s, though with the breakdown in civil order in Somalia all their aircraft ended up derelict by the early 1990s.

Variants

MiG-19PM with drop tanks.

MiG-19PM

MiG-19 (NATO: "Farmer-A"): First production version armed with 3 × 23 mm NR-23 cannons.
MiG-19P (NATO: "Farmer-B"): Version equipped with RP-1 Izumrud radar in the nose and armed with 2 × 23 mm NR-23 (later 2 × 30 mm NR-30) cannons in the wings. Had provision for an unguided rocket pack under each wing, elongated tailfin fillet, all-moving tailplane, third airbrake added behind the ventral fin. Vympel K-13 (AA-2 'Atoll') air-to-air missile (AAM) capability was added late in its service life; entered production in 1955.
MiG-19PG: MiG-19P equipped with the Gorizont-1 ground control datalink.
MiG-19S (NATO: "Farmer-C"): Development of the MiG-19P equipped with Svod long-range navigation receiver and armed with 3 × 30 mm NR-30 cannons. Had provisions for an unguided rocket pack or a FAB-250 bomb under each wing; entered service in 1956.
MiG-19R: Reconnaissance version of the MiG-19S with cameras replacing the nose cannon and powered by uprated RD-9BF-1 engines.
MiG-19SF: Late production MiG-19S powered by the same uprated RD-9BF-1 engines as the MiG-19R.
MiG-19SV: High-altitude version for intercepting reconnaissance balloons, reached 20,740 m (68,045 ft) on 6 December 1956; entered service in 1956.
MiG-19SVK: MiG-19SV with a new wing, small increase in altitude above MiG-19SV; did not warrant production.
MiG-19SU (SM-50): High-altitude version to intercept the Lockheed U-2, equipped with a self-contained liquid-fuel booster rocket pack; appears to have been abandoned because of inability to control the aircraft at very high altitudes and the aircraft's tendency to enter supersonic spins.
MiG-19PF: Single-seat radar-equipped, all-weather interceptor fighter aircraft; built in small numbers.
MiG-19PM (NATO: "Farmer-E"): Variant with removed cannons, armed with 4 × Kaliningrad K-5M (NATO: AA-1 "Alkali") beam-riding missiles. Entered production in 1957.
MiG-19PML: MiG-19PM with Lazur ground control datalink.
MiG-19PU: Rocket pack fit similar to MiG-19SU.
MiG-19PT: A single MiG-19P equipped to carry Vympel K-13 (NATO: AA-2 "Atoll") missiles.
MiG-19M: Target drone converted from the MiG-19 and MiG-19S.
SM-6: Two MiG-19 Ps converted to flying laboratories for testing the Grushin K-6 developmental AAM (intended for the Sukhoi T-3 jet fighter) and Almaz-3 radar.
SM-12: New fighter prototype, developed into the MiG-21; four aircraft built
SM-20: Missile simulator for testing the Raduga Kh-20 (NATO: AS-3 "Kangaroo") cruise missile.
SM-30: Zero-length launch (ZEL) version with PRD-22 booster rocket.
SM-K: Missile simulator for testing the Raduga K-10 (NATO: AS-2 "Kipper") cruise missile.

Avia S-105: Czechoslovak licenced built MiG-19S.

Shenyang J-6: Chinese-built version of the MiG-19. This version was inducted into the Pakistani Air Force as the F-6. The F-6 was later modified by the Pakistani Air Force to carry U.S.-built AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.

Operators

Operators of the MiG-19

Afghanistan: Afghan Air Force. 36 acquired by the Royal Afghan Air Force from 1964.
Albania: Albanian Air Force. (85) Mainly Chinese Shenyang J-6. See Albanian Air Force.
Bangladesh: Bangladesh Air Force
Bulgaria: The MiG-19 served in the Bulgarian Air Force from 1958 to 1973.
Cambodia: Cambodian Air Force
People's Republic of China: Phased out of service at 2005, except for Q-5. See Nanchang Q-5, some J-6 was converted to target/attack drone (number not confirmed).

Cuba: Cuban Air Force
Czechoslovakia: Czechoslovak Air Force operated many MIG-19S, MIG-19P, MIG-19PM and licenced build S-105
East Germany: East German Air Force
Egypt: Egyptian Air Force
Hungary: Hungarian Air Force
Indonesia: The Indonesian Air Force acquired a number of MiG-19S in 1961 and used during the preparation of Operation TRIKORA in 1962, (the taking of Western New Guinea from the Netherlands) in Western New Guinea (now, Papua and Papua Barat); several of these aircraft crashed. The MiG-19S was removed from Indonesian service in 1970.
Iraq: Iraqi Air Force
North Korea: North Korean Air Force. J-6 still in service.
Pakistan: Pakistan Air Force. All retired.
Poland: Polish Air Force. A total of 22 MiG-19P and 14 MiG-19PM interceptors served between 1957 and 1974
Romania: Romanian Air Force. A total of 17 MiG-19P and 10 MiG-19PM aircraft were in service between 1958 (1959 for the PM) and 1972.
Somalia: Somali Air Corps
Soviet Union

Sudan: Sudanese Air Force. F-6 still in service (Chinese J-6 export version).
Syria: Syrian Air Force
Tanzania: Tanzanian Air Force
Vietnam: Vietnam People's Air Force
Zambia: MiG-19S still in service.

Specifications (MiG-19S)

General characteristics

Crew: One
Length: 12.5 m (41 ft)
Wingspan: 9.2 m (30 ft 2 in)
Height: 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 25.0 m² (270 ft²)
Empty weight: 5,447 kg (11,983 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 7,560 kg (16,632 lb)
Powerplant: 2× Tumansky RD-9B afterburning turbojets, 31.9 kN (7,178 lbf) each
Fuel capacity: 1,800 kg (3,960 lb)

Performance

Maximum speed: 1,455 km/h (909 mph)
Range: 685 km (430 mi); combat 2,200 km (1,375 mi)
Service ceiling: 17,500 m (57,400 ft)
Rate of climb: 180 m/s (35,425 ft/min)
Wing loading: 302.4 kg/m² (61.6 lb/ft²)
Thrust/weight: 0.86

Armament

3x 30 mm NR-30 cannons (75 rounds per gun for wing guns, 55 rounds for fuselage gun)
Up to 250 kg (550 lb) of bombs or unguided rockets on 4 underwing pylons or 4 Vympel K-13 AAMs

References

Notes

^ Michel 1997, p. 212.
^ Sherwood 1999, pp. 231–232.
^ Ethell and Price 1989, pp. 55–61, 141.
^ Nicolle and Cooper, p. 27.

Bibliography

Butowski, Piotr (with Jay Miller). OKB MiG: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft. Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1991. ISBN 0-904597-80-6.
Crosby, Francis. Fighter Aircraft. London: Lorenz Books, 2002. ISBN 0-7548-0990-0.
Ethell, Jeffrey and Alfred Price. One Day in a Very Long War: May 10, 1972, Air Combat, North Vietnam. New York: Random House, 1989. ISBN 978-0517079348.
Koenig, William and Peter Scofield. Soviet Military Power. Greenwich, Connecticut: Bison Books, 1983. ISBN 0-86124-127-4.
Michel, Marshall L. Clashes: Air Combat Over North Vietnam 1965-1972. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1997. ISBN 1-55750-585-3.
Nicolle, David and Tom Cooper. Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat. London: Osprey Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1-84176-655-0.
Robinson, Anthony. Soviet Air Power. London: Bison Books, 1985. ISBN 0-86124-180-0.
Sherwood, John D. Fast Movers: Jet Pilots and the Vietnam Experience. New York: Free Press, 1999. ISBN 0-31297-962-2.
Smith, Philip E. and Peggy Herz. Journey Into Darkness . New York: Pocket, Simon & Schuster, 1992. ISBN 067-172-8237.
Sweetman, Bill and Bill Gunston. Soviet Air Power: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Warsaw Pact Air Forces Today. London: Salamander Books, 1978. ISBN 0-51724-948-0.
Toperczer, Istvan. MiG-17 and MiG-19 Units of the Vietnam War (Osprey Combat Aircraft: 25). London: Osprey. 2001. ISBN 1-84176-162-1.

External links

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