MPC 1/72-SCALE
MIKOYAN MIG-21 FISHBED SOVIET AF FINLAND WARSAW PACT MIDDLE EAST KIT
OPEN BOX UNBUILT PLASTIC MODEL KIT INVENTORIED
100% COMPLETE. Includes Original Instructions and Decals.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS PLEASE ASK
ME BEFORE BIDDING / PURCHASING I WANT EVERYONE TO BE 100% SATISFIED WITH NO
SURPRISES OR MIS-UNDERSTANDINGS
***IF YOU DESIRE TO PURCHASE MULTIPLE KITS AT THE
SAME TIME I WILL COMBINE INTO A SINGLE SHIPMENT AND ADJUST THE INVOICE TO
REFLECT THE MOST ECONOMICAL POSTAGE CHARGE FOR ALL ITEMS SHIPPED TOGETHER***
--------------------------------------------
Additional Information from Internet Encyclopedia
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (NATO reporting name:
Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the
Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nicknames include:
Balalaika, because its planform resembles the stringed musical instrument of
the same name; Ołówek, Polish for "pencil", due to the shape of its
fuselage, and; Én bạc, meaning "Silver Swallow", in Vietnamese.
Approximately 60 countries over four continents
have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations six decades after its
maiden flight. It made aviation records, became the most-produced supersonic
jet aircraft in aviation history, the most-produced combat aircraft since the
Korean War and previously the longest production run of a combat aircraft (now
exceeded by both the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and General Dynamics F-16
Fighting Falcon).
The MiG-21 jet fighter was a continuation of
Soviet jet fighters, starting with the subsonic MiG-15 and 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 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. It made its maiden flight on 16 June 1955 and its first
public appearance during the Soviet Aviation Day display at Moscow's Tushino
airfield in July 1956.
In the West, due to the lack of available
information, early details of the MiG-21 often were confused with those of
similar Soviet fighters of the era. In one instance, Jane's All the World's
Aircraft 19601961 listed the "Fishbed" as a Sukhoi design and used
an illustration of the Su-9 'Fishpot'.
Design
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
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter and Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter and the French
Dassault Mirage III. Its basic layout was used for numerous other Soviet
designs; delta-winged aircraft included Su-9 interceptor and the fast E-150
prototype from MiG bureau while the mass-produced successful front fighter Su-7
and Mikoyan's I-75 experimental interceptor combined a similar fuselage shape
with swept-back wings. However, the characteristic layout with the shock cone
and front air intake did not see widespread use outside the USSR and finally
proved to have limited development potential, mainly because of the very small
space available for the radar.
Like many aircraft designed as interceptors, the
MiG-21 had a short range. This was exacerbated by the poor placement of the
internal fuel tanks ahead of the centre of gravity. As the internal fuel was
consumed, the center of gravity would shift rearward beyond acceptable
parameters. This had the effect of making the plane statically unstable to the
point of being difficult to control, resulting in an endurance of only 45
minutes in clean condition. This can be somewhat countered by carrying fuel in
external tanks closer to the center of gravity. The Chinese variants somewhat
improved the internal fuel tank layout (also second generation of Soviet
variants), and also carry significantly larger external fuel tanks to counter
this issue. Additionally, when more than half the fuel was used up, violent
maneuvers prevented fuel from flowing into the engine[citation needed], thereby
causing it to shut down in flight. This increased the risk of tank implosions
(MiG-21 had tanks pressurized with air from the engine's compressor), a problem
inherited from the MiG-15, MiG-17 and MiG-19. The short endurance and low fuel
capacity of the MiG-21F, PF, PFM, S/SM and M/MF variantsthough each had a
somewhat greater fuel capacity than its predecessorled to the development of
the MT and SMT variants. These had an increased range 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.
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. Mig-21's Tumansky R-25 jet
engine's specialty was the addition of a second fuel pump in the afterburning
stage. Activating the ЧР (rus. "чрезвычайный режим" - emergency mode)
booster feature allows the engine to develop 97.4 kilonewtons (21,896 lbf) of
thrust under 4,000 meters (13,000 ft) of altitude. The limit of operation is 1
minute for dogfight practice and 3 minutes for an actual wartime emergency, as
further use causes the engine to overheat. Use of this "diamond
regime" provided a massive 97.4 kN of thrust for no more than 3 minutes in
actual wartime use. Use of this temporary power gave the MiG-21bis slightly
better than 1:1 thrust-to-weight ratio and a climbing rate of 254 meters/second,
equalling the F-16's nominal capabilities in close-quarters dogfight. In air
combat practice with the MiG-21bis, use of WEP thrust was limited to 1 minute,
to spare on the engines' 800 flight hours lifetime, since every second of
super-afterburner use counted as several minutes of regular power run due to
extreme thermal stress. When WEP was on, the MiG-21bis's R-25 engine produced a
huge 5 meter long blowtorch exhaust - the six or seven brightly glowing
rhomboid "shock diamonds" visible inside the flames gave the
emergency-power setting its "diamond regime" name.[6] Given a skilled
pilot and capable missiles, it could give a good account of itself against
contemporary fighters. Its G-limits were increased from +7Gs in initial
variants to +8.5Gs in the latest variants.[7] 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.
The MiG-21 was exported widely and remains in use.
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
developing 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.
Production
A total of 10,645 aircraft were built in the USSR.
They were produced in three factories: AZ 30[N 1] (3,203 aircraft) in Moscow
(also known as MMZ Znamya Truda), GAZ 21 (5,765 aircraft) in Gorky [N 2] and
TAZ 31 (1,678 aircraft) in Tbilisi. Generally, Gorky built single-seaters for
the Soviet forces. Moscow constructed single-seaters for export, and Tbilisi
manufactured the twin-seaters both for export and the USSR, though there were
exceptions. The MiG-21R and MiG-21bis for export and for the USSR were built in
Gorky, 17 single-seaters were helmed in Tbilisi (MiG-21 and MiG-21F), the
MiG-21MF was first constructed in Moscow and then Gorky, and the MiG-21U was
built in Moscow as well as in Tbilisi.
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
Moscow
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)
Tbilisi
17 MiG-21 and MiG-21F; 181 MiG-21U izdeliye 66400
and 66600 (19621966); 347 MiG-21US (19661970); 1133 MiG-21UM (1971 to end)
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)
Cost
Due to the mass production, the aircraft was very
cheap: the MiG-21MF, for example, was cheaper than the BMP-1 The F-4 Phantom's
cost was several times higher than MiG-21.
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.
The fuselage is semi-monocoque with an elliptical
profile and a maximum width of 1.24 m (4 ft 1 in). The air flow to the engine
is regulated by an inlet cone in the air intake. On early model MiG-21s, the
cone has three positions. For speeds up to Mach 1.5 the cone is fully retracted
to the maximum aft position. For speeds between Mach 1.5 and Mach 1.9 the cone
moves to the middle position. For speeds higher than Mach 1.9 the cone moves to
the maximum forward position. On the later model MiG-21PF, the intake cone
moves to a position based on the actual speed. The cone position for a given
speed is calculated by the UVD-2M system using air pressures from in front and
behind the compressor of the engine. On both sides 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 attached to the bottom of
the nose. After the MiG-21P variant, this tube is attached to the top of the
air intake. Later versions shifted the pitot tube attachment point 15 degrees
to the right, as seen from the cockpit and had an emergency pitot head on the
right side, just ahead of the canopy and below the pilot's eyeline.
The cabin is pressurized and air conditioned. On
variants prior to the MiG-21PFM, the cabin canopy is hinged at the front. When
ejecting, the SK-1 ejection seat connects with the canopy to make a capsule
that encloses the pilot. The capsule protects the pilot from the high-speed
airflow encountered during high-speed ejections. After ejection, the capsule
opens to allow the pilot to parachute to the ground. However, ejecting at low
altitudes can cause the canopy to take too long to separate, sometimes
resulting in pilot death. The minimum height for ejection in level flight was
110 m. Starting from the MiG-21PFM, the canopy is hinged on the right side of
the cockpit.
On the under side of the aircraft there are three
air brakes, two at the front and one at the rear. The front air brakes have an
area of 0.76 m², and a deflection angle of 35°. The rear air brake has an area
of 0.46 m² and a deflection angle of 40°. The rear air brake is blocked if the
airplane carries an external fuel tank. Behind the air brakes are the bays for
the main landing gear. On the under side of the airplane, just behind the
trailing edge of the wing are attachment points for two JATO rockets. The front
section of the fuselage ends at former #28. The rear section of the fuselage
starts at former #28a and is removable for engine maintenance.
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 a sweep
angle of 57°, an area of 3.94 m² and a span of 2.6 m.
The MiG-21 uses a tricycle type undercarriage. On
most variants the main landing gear uses tires that are 800 mm in diameter and
200 mm in width. Only the MiG-21F variants use tires with the size 660×200 mm.
The wheels of the main landing gear retract into the fuselage after rotating
87° and the shock absorbers retract into the wing. The nose gear retracts
forward into the fuselage under the radar. The nose wheel can be lowered
manually by simply unlocking its hatch from inside the cockpit. Thus, landing
with undercarriage locked in the up position due to an internal failure was not
a major issue, with a number of such successful landings on the nosewheel and
ventral fuel tank or the airbrake.
India is the largest operator of MiG-21s. In 1961,
the Indian Air Force (IAF) opted to purchase the MiG-21 over several other
Western competitors. As part of the deal, the Soviet Union offered India full
transfer of technology and rights for local assembly. In 1964, the MiG-21
became the first supersonic fighter jet to enter service with the IAF. Due to
limited induction numbers and lack of pilot training, the IAF MiG-21 played a
limited role in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. However, the IAF gained valuable
experience while operating the MiG-21 for defensive sorties during the war. The
positive feedback from IAF pilots during the 1965 war prompted India to place
more orders for the fighter jet and also invest heavily in building the
MiG-21's maintenance infrastructure and pilot training programs.
Since 1963, India has introduced more than 1,200
MiG fighters into its air force. As of 2019, 113 MiG-21s are known to be in
operation in the IAF. However, the plane has been plagued by safety problems.
Since 1970 more than 170 Indian pilots and 40 civilians have been killed in
MiG-21 accidents. At least 14 MiG-21s have crashed between 2010 and 2013. Over
half of the 840 aircraft built between 1966 and 1984 were lost to crashes. When
in afterburner, the engine operates very close to its surge line and the ingestion
of even a small bird can lead to an engine surge/seizure and flame out.
On 11 December 2013, India's second-generation
supersonic jet fighter, MiG-21FL was decommissioned after being in service for
50 years.
In view of the several incidents that have
occurred after the 1999 Kargil War, the modernized MiG-21 Bison seems to have
at present the role of an interceptor and possibly a limited role of a fighter
aircraft.[
1971 Bangladesh Liberation War
The expansion of IAF MiG-21 fleet marked a
developing India-Soviet Union military partnership, which enabled India to
field a formidable air force to counter Chinese and Pakistani threats.[18] The
capabilities of the MiG-21 were put to the test during the Bangladesh
Liberation War. During the war, the MiG-21s played a crucial role in giving the
IAF air superiority over vital points and areas in the western theater of the
conflict.
The 1971 war witnessed the first supersonic air
combat in the subcontinent when an Indian MiG-21FL claimed a PAF F-104A
Starfighter with its GSh-23 twin-barrelled 23 mm cannon. By the time the
hostilities came to an end, the IAF MiG-21FLs had claimed four PAF F-104As, two
PAF Shenyang F-6, one PAF North American F-86 Sabre and one PAF Lockheed C-130
Hercules. According to one Western military analyst, the MiG-21FLs had clearly
"won" the much anticipated air combat between the MiG-21FL and the F-104A
Starfighter.
Because of the performance of India's MiG-21s,
several nations, including Iraq, approached India for MiG-21 pilot training. By
the early 1970s, more than 120 Iraqi pilots were being trained by the Indian
Air Force.
The Indonesian Air Force purchased 22 MiG-21s. In
1962, 20 MiG-21F-13s and MiG-21Us were received during Operation Trikora in the
Western New Guinea conflict. Indonesian MiG-21s never fought in any dogfights.
Right after the U.S. backed anti-communist forces took over the government, 13
Indonesian MiG-21s were delivered to the U.S. in exchange for T-33, UH-34D, and
later, F-5 and OV-10 aircraft. All remaining MiG-21s were grounded and retired
due to lack of spare parts and the withdrawal of Soviet maintenance support.
The MiGs were added to the 4477th Test and
Evaluation Squadron ("Red Eagles"), an USAF aggressor squadron at
Tonopah Test Range.
Vietnam
MiG-21PF in
Vietnam People's Air Force markings exhibited at the National Museum of the
United States Air Force.
As may be seen from its range figures, the MiG-21
was designed for very short ground-controlled interception (GCI) missions. It
became renowned for this type of mission in the skies over North Vietnam. The
first MiG-21s arrived directly from the Soviet Union by ship in April 1966.
After being unloaded and assembled they were given to North Vietnam's oldest
fighter unit, the 921st Fighter Regiment (921st FR), which had been created on
3 February 1964 as a MiG-17 unit. Because the Vietnam People's Air Force's
(VPAF) 923rd FR was newer and less experienced, they would continue to operate
MiG-17s, while the arrival of the MiG-19s (J6 versions) from China in 1969
would create North Vietnam's only MiG-19 unit, the 925th FR. On 3 February
1972, North Vietnam commissioned their fourth and last fighter regiment created
during the war with South Vietnam, the MiG-21PFM (Type 94) equipped 927th
Fighter Regiment.
Although 13 of North Vietnam's flying aces
attained their status while flying the MiG-21 (cf. three in the MiG-17), many
VPAF pilots preferred the MiG-17 because the high wing loading of the MiG-21
made it relatively less maneuverable and the lighter framed canopy of the
MiG-17 gave better visibility. However, this is not the impression perceived by
British author Roger Boniface when he interviewed Pham Ngoc Lan and ace Nguyễn
Nhật Chiêu (who scored victories flying both MiG-17 and MiG-21). Pham Ngoc Lan
told Boniface that "The MiG-21 was much faster, and it had two ATOLL
missiles which were very accurate and reliable when fired between 1,000 and
1,200 yards." And Chiêu asserted that "... for me personally I
preferred the MiG-21 because it was superior in all specifications in climb,
speed and armament. The ATOLL missile was very accurate and I scored four kills
with the ATOLL. ... In general combat conditions I was always confident of a
kill over a F-4 Phantom when flying a MiG-21."
Although the MiG-21 lacked the long-range radar,
missiles, and heavy bomb load of its contemporary multi-mission U.S. fighters,
with its RP-21 Sapfir radar 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 Republic F-105 Thunderchief strike
groups were effective in downing US aircraft or forcing them to jettison their
bomb loads.
Aerial combat victories 19661972
The North Vietnamese flew their interceptors with
guidance from ground controllers, who positioned the MiGs in ambush battle
stations to make their "one pass, then haul ass" attacks. The MiGs
made fast and often accurate attacks against US formations from several
directions (usually the MiG-17s performed head-on attacks and the MiG-21s
attacked from the rear). After shooting down a few American planes and forcing
some of the F-105s to drop their bombs prematurely, the MiGs did not wait for
retaliation, but disengaged rapidly. These "guerrilla warfare in the
air" tactics generally proved successful during the course of the war. In
December 1966 the MiG-21 pilots of the 921st FR downed 14 F-105 Thunderchiefs
without any losses.
The USAF and the US Navy had high expectations of
the F-4 Phantom, assuming that the massive firepower, the best available
on-board radar, the highest speed and acceleration properties, coupled with new
tactics, would provide Phantoms with an advantage over the MiGs. But in
confrontations with the lighter MiG-21, F-4s began to suffer losses. From May
to December 1966, the USAF lost 47 aircraft, destroying only 12 VPAF fighters
in return. From April 1965 to November 1968, over 268 air battles occurred over
the skies of North Vietnam. North Vietnam claimed 244 downed U.S. aircraft,
while admitting to the loss of 85 MiGs. Of these, 46 air battles conducted
between F-4s and MiG-21s the losses were 27 F-4 Phantoms and 20 MiG-21s.
After a million sorties and nearly 1,000 US
aircraft losses, Operation Rolling Thunder came to an end on 1 November 1968. A
poor air-to-air combat loss-exchange ratios against the smaller, more agile
enemy MiGs during the early part of the Vietnam War eventually led the US Navy
to create their Navy Fighter Weapons School, also known as "TOPGUN",
at Naval Air Station Miramar, California, on 3 March 1969. The USAF quickly
followed with their own version, titled the Dissimilar Air Combat Training
(sometimes referred to as Red Flag) program at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
These two programs employed the subsonic Douglas A-4 Skyhawk and the supersonic
F-5 Tiger II, as well as the Mach 2.4-capable USAF Convair F-106 Delta Dart,
which mimicked the MiG-21.
The culmination of the struggle in the air in
early 1972 was 10 May, when VPAF aircraft completed 64 sorties, resulting in 15
air battles. The VPAF claimed 7 F-4s were shot down (U.S. confirmed five F-4s
were lost.) Those, in turn, managed to destroy two MiG-21s, three MiG-17s and
one MiG-19. On 11 May, two MiG-21s, who played the role of "bait",
brought four F-4s to 2 MiG-21s circling at low altitude. The MiGs quickly
stormed the Phantoms and 3 missiles shot down two F-4s. On 13 May, a MiG-21
unit intercepted a group of F-4s, the second pair of MiGs made a missile attack
and were hit by two F-4s. 18 May, Vietnamese aircraft made 26 sorties, eight of
which resulted in combat, costing four F-4s while the VPAF did not suffer any
losses.
Over the course of the air war, between 3 April
1965 and 8 January 1973, each side would ultimately claim favorable kill
ratios. In 1972 the tally between American and Vietnamese planes stood at 201
air battles. The VPAF lost 54 MiGs (including 36 MiG-21s and one MiG-21US) and
they claimed 90 U.S. aircraft were shot down, including 74 F-4 fighters and two
RF-4C reconnaissance jets (MiG-21 shot down 67 enemy aircraft, MiG-17 shot down
11 and MiG-19 shot down 12 enemy aircraft).
One MiG-21 was shot down on 21 February 1972 by a
U.S. Air Force F-4 Phantom piloted by Major Lodge with 1st Lt Roger Locher as
his WSO based at Udorn RTAFB, Thailand. This was claimed to be the first ever
U.S. Air Force MiG kill at night, and the first in four years at that time.
Two MiG-21s were claimed shot down by USAF Boeing
B-52 Stratofortress tail gunners; the only confirmed air-to-air kills made by
the B-52. The first aerial victory occurred on 18 December 1972, kill awarded
to tail gunner SSgt Samuel Turner, who was awarded the Silver Star. The second
air-to-air kill took place on 24 December 1972, kill awarded to A1C Albert E.
Moore for downing a MiG-21 over the Thai Nguyen railroad yards. Both actions
occurred during Operation Linebacker II (also known as the Christmas Bombings).
These air-to-air kills were not confirmed by VPAF.
The biggest threat to North Vietnam during the war
had always been the Strategic Air Command's B-52 Stratofortress. Hanoi's MiG-17
and MiG-19 interceptors could not deal with those bombers at their flying
altitude. In summer 1972 the VPAF was directed to train 12 MiG-21 pilots for
the specific mission of attacking and shooting down B-52 bombers, with
two-thirds of those pilots specifically trained in the night attack. On 26
December 1972, just two days after tail gunner Albert Moore downed his MiG-21,
a VPAF MiG-21MF (number 5121) from the 921st Fighter Regiment, flown by Major
Phạm Tuân over Hanoi, claimed the first aerial combat kill of a B-52
Stratofortress. The B-52 had been above Hanoi at over 30,000 feet (9,100 m),
when Major Tuân launched two Atoll missiles from 2 kilometres, claiming to have
destroyed one of the bombers flying in the three-plane formation.[49] Other
sources argue that his missiles failed to hit their mark, but as he was
disengaging, a B-52 from a three-bomber cell in front of his target took a hit
from a SAM, exploding in mid-air: this may have caused Tuân to think his
missiles destroyed the target he had been aiming for.
The Vietnamese claim another kill to have taken
place on 28 December 1972 by a MiG-21 from the 921st FR, this time flown by Vu
Xuan Thieu. Thieu is said to have perished in the explosion of a B-52 hit by
his own missiles, having approached the target too closely. In this case the
Vietnamese version appears to be erroneous: while one MiG-21 kill was claimed
by Phantoms that night (this may have been Thieu's MiG), no B-52s were lost to
any cause on the date of the claimed kill.
Year-by-year kill claims involving MiG-21s.
1966: U.S. claimed six MiG-21s destroyed; North
Vietnam claimed seven F-4 Phantom IIs and 11 F-105 Thunderchiefs shot down by
MiG-21s.
1967: U.S. claimed 21 MiG-21s destroyed; North
Vietnam claimed 17 F-105 Thunderchiefs, 11 F-4 Phantom IIs, two RF-101 Voodoos,
one A-4 Skyhawk, one Vought F-8 Crusader, one EB-66 Destroyer and three
unidentified types shot down by MiG-21s.
1968: U.S. claimed nine MiG-21s destroyed; North
Vietnam claimed 17 US aircraft shot down by MiG-21s.
1969: U.S. destroyed three MiG-21s; one Firebee
UAV destroyed by a MiG-21.
1970: U.S. destroyed two MiG-21s; North Vietnam
claimed one F-4 Phantom and one CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter shot down by
MiG-21s.
1972: U.S. claimed 51 MiG-21s destroyed; North
Vietnam claimed 53 US aircraft shot down by MiG-21s, including two B-52
Stratofortress bombers. Soviet General Fesenko, the main Soviet adviser to the
North Vietnamese Air Force in 1972,[51] recorded 34 MiG-21s destroyed in 1972.
On 3 January 1968, a MiG-21 pilot, Ha Van Chuc,
alone entered into battle with 36 American planes and claimed shot down one
F-105 Thunderchief.
During the Vietnam war, the VPAF claimed 103 F-4
Phantoms were shot down by MiG-21s, and they lost 60 MiG-21s in air combat (54
by Phantoms).
According to Russian data, in air battles the
North Vietnamese, MiG-21s credited 165 air victories, with the loss of 65
aircraft (few by accident) and 16 pilots. The losses of the MiG-21 pilots were
the smallest in comparison with all other airplanes.
EgyptianSyrianIsraeli conflicts
The MiG-21 was also used extensively in the Middle
East conflicts of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s by the Egyptian Air Force, Syrian
Air Force and Iraqi Air Force. The MiG-21 first encountered Israeli Mirage
IIICs on 14 November 1964, but it was not 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. MiG-21s also faced McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs
and Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, but were later outclassed by the more modern McDonnell
Douglas F-15 Eagle and General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, which were
acquired by Israel beginning in the mid-1970s. During this period, Syrian
pilots flying Mig-21s also independently discovered the Cobra maneuver which
became a standard defensive maneuver under the name "zero speed
maneuver".
During the opening attacks of the 1967 Six-Day
War, the Israeli Air Force struck Arab air forces in four attack waves. In the
first wave, IDF aircraft claimed to have destroyed eight Egyptian aircraft in
air-to-air combat, of which seven were MiG-21s; Egypt claimed five kills scored
by MiG-21PFs. During the second wave Israel claimed four MiG-21s downed in
air-to-air combat, and the third wave resulted in two Syrian and one Iraqi
MiG-21s claimed destroyed in the air. The fourth wave destroyed many more Syrian
MiG-21s on the ground. Overall, Egypt lost around 100 out of about 110 MiG-21s
they had, almost all on the ground; Syria lost 35 of 60 MiG-21F-13s and
MiG-21PFs in the air and on the ground.
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 this same time period,
from the end of the Six Day War to the end of the War of Attrition, Israel
claimed a total of 25 Syrian MiG-21s destroyed; the Syrians claimed three
confirmed and four probable kills of Israel aircraft, although Israel denied
these.
High losses to Egyptian aircraft and continuous
bombing during the War of Attrition caused Egypt to ask the Soviet Union for
help. In March 1970, Soviet pilots and SAM crews arrived with their equipment.
On 13 April, during the air battle over the Red Sea coast, the Soviet
MiG-21MFs, according to some data, shot down two Israeli F-4 fighters. On 18
April, one Israeli scout RF-4E "Phantom" were damaged by Soviet
MiG-21MF. On 16 May, an Israeli aircraft is shot down in air combat, probably
by a Soviet MiG-21. On 22 June 1970, a Soviet pilot flying a MiG-21MF shot down
an Israeli A-4E. After that, some more successful intercepts by Soviet pilots
and another Israeli A-4 being shot down on 25 June.
Israel decided to plan an ambush (Operation Rimon
20) in response. On 30 July, Israeli F-4s lured Soviet MiG-21s into an area
where they were ambushed by Mirages. Asher Snir, flying a Mirage IIICJ,
destroyed a Soviet MiG-21; Avihu Ben-Nun and Aviam Sela, both piloting F-4Es,
each got a kill, and an unidentified pilot in another Mirage scored the fourth
kill against the Soviet-flown MiG-21s; while the IAF suffers no losses except a
damaged Mirage. Three Soviet pilots were killed and the Soviet Union was alarmed
by the losses. While a morale boosting achievement, Rimon 20 did not change the
course of the war. After the operation, other IAF aircraft were lost to Soviet
MiG-21s and SAMs. Few days later, on 7 August, the Soviets respond by luring
Israeli fighter jets into a counter-ambush, downing two Israeli Mirage-IIICs
and deploying more aircraft to Egypt, known as "Operation
Kavkaz".[citation needed] Totally, during March August 1970, Soviet
MiG-21 pilots and SAM crews destroyed a total of 21 Israeli aircraft (eight by
SA-3 missile systems and 13 by MiG-21s) at a cost of 5 MiG-21s were shot down
by IAF, which helped to convince the Israelis to sign a ceasefire agreement.
In September 1973, a large air battle erupted
between Syria and Israel; Israel claimed a total of 12 Syrian MiG-21s
destroyed, while Syria claimed eight kills scored by MiG-21s and admitted five
losses.
During the Yom Kippur War, Israel claimed 73 kills
against Egyptian MiG-21s (65 confirmed). Egypt claimed 27 confirmed kills
against Israeli aircraft by its MiG-21s, plus eight probables. However,
according to most Israeli sources, these were exaggerated claims as Israeli
air-to-air combat losses for the entire war did not exceed five to fifteen.
On the Syrian front of the war, 6 October 1973 saw
a flight of Syrian MiG-21MFs shoot down an IDF A-4E and a Mirage IIICJ while
losing three of their own to Israeli IAI Neshers. On 7 October, Syrian
MiG-21MFs downed two Israeli F-4Es, three Mirage IIICJs and an A-4E while
losing two of their MiGs 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
destroyed two A-4Es while losing one MiG. On 8 October 1973, Syrian MiG-21PFMs
downed three F-4Es, but six of their MiG-21s were lost. By the end of the war,
Syrian MiG-21s claimed a total of 30 confirmed kills against Israeli aircraft;
29 MiG-21s were claimed (26 confirmed) as destroyed by the IDF.
Between the end of the Yom Kippur War and the
start of the 1982 Lebanon War, Israel had received modern F-15s and F-16s,
which were far superior to the old Syrian MiG-21MFs. According to the IDF,
these new aircraft accounted for the destruction of 24 Syrian MiG-21s over this
period, though Syria did claim five kills against IDF aircraft with their
MiG-21s armed with outdated K-13 missiles; Israel denied they suffered any
losses.
The 1982 Lebanon War started on 6 June 1982, and
in the course of that war the IDF claimed to have destroyed about 45 Syrian
MiG-21MFs. Syria claimed two confirmed and 15 probable kills of Israeli
aircraft. Two Israeli F-15 and one F-4 were damaged in combat with the MiG-21.
This air battle was the largest to occur since the Korean War.
Syrian civil war
Starting in July 2012, after more than a year of
the Syrian civil war had seen no aerial action, the Syrian Air Force started
operations against Syrian insurgents. MiG-21s were among the first combat ready
aircraft used in bombings, rocket attacks and strafing runs with many videos
recorded from the ground showing the jets in combat.
The rebels had access to heavy machine guns,
different anti-aircraft guns and Russian and Chinese MANPADS up to modern
designs such as the FN-6. The first loss of a MiG-21 was recorded on 30 August
2012. Its registration was 2271. It was likely downed on takeoff or landing at
Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase, under siege by rebels, by heavy machine gun
fire. A few days later a second MiG-21, registered 2280, was shot down and
recorded on video on 4 September 2012. It was likely downed on takeoff or
landing at Abu Dhuhur air base, under siege by rebels, by KPV 14.5 mm machine
gun fire.
On 10 November 2014, a Syrian Air Force MiG-21bis,
serialed 2204, was shot down by rebels either using a MANPADS or antiaircraft
guns, near Sabboura town, 45 km east of Hama airbase where it was likely based.
The pilot was killed. Video and picture evidence of the crash site surfaced.
After four months, during which the Syrian Air
Force suffered no losses to enemy fire, the last being a MiG-23, on 12 March
2016, a Syrian MiG-21 was shot down by Jaysh al-Nasr over Hama near Kafr
Nabudah. There were conflicting accounts of how it was brought down, the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights reported the warplane had been downed by two
MANPADS, while Jaysh al-Nasr militants say they shot it down with anti-aircraft
guns. Video evidence suggesting it was a MANPADS. It seems the pilot ejected,
but died, either killed by ground fire while descending or other causes.
On 4 March 2017, SyAAF MiG-21bis from No. 679
squadron operating from Hama AB and piloted by Col. Mohammad Sawfan was shot
down by rebels and subsequently crashed in Turkish territory nearby the
borders; the pilot in question has successfully ejected but been arrested and
taken to a hospital in Antakya. The pilot returned to service recently and this
mission was his first sortie after suspension years before. A recording of the
last conversation between the pilot and the ground controller, clearly shows
the pilot disorientation due to a technical failure with a malfunctioning
compass first then the whole navigation system. After that the pilot could not
recognize his way back to base, as requested by the ground controller and ended
under range of AAA of Ahrar Al-Sham rebels.
LibyanEgyptian War
Egypt was shipped some American Sidewinder
missiles, and these were fitted to their MiG-21s and successfully used in
combat against Libyan Mirages and MiG-23s during the brief Libyan-Egyptian War
of July 1977.