Perennial Bad Guy: The MiG-21 65 Years Old And Still Kickin' Butt

If the United States has developed fighters that have staying power over many yearsthe venerable F-4, F-15, and F-16 come to mindthen the Russian MiG-21 must surely share that space. The MiG21 made its public debut in a Soviet air display in 1956. Known as an air-to-air missile fighter, the MiG-21 can also wage war with an internally mounted 23mm cannon. Some like to call the MiG21 the AK-47 of jet fighters. Like the famed short Soviet rifle, the MiG-21 has proven to be both lethal and long-lived around the world.

- Fred Johnsen

Just as avionics and weapons updates have kept the F-15 and F-16 potent into the 21st century, the venerable MiG-21 has been the subject of upgrades that keep it in contention today. The Soviets readily exported MiG-21s to many nations, from Europe to Asia. MiG-21s still serve at least 15 countries worldwide, ranging from Cuba to Croatia and Romania.

The basic MiG-21 was conceived as a short-range interceptor relying on ground radars for vectoring to its aerial target. Under these circumstances, the MiG-21's prominent shock cone nose inlet, which inhibited the use of long-range onboard radar, was not viewed as a detriment. The MiG-21 is a lightweight fighter that achieves Mach 2 and enjoys good maneuverability. It is sometimes compared to the F-5 and F-104 in performance.

MiG-21 Development

The progenitor of all MiG-21s the prototype called “Ye-2,” an ambitious jet with a swept wing. It first flew on a February day in 1955. Performance fell short of the intended Mach 2 speed, and the design evolved into a delta-wing planform, retaining a traditional horizontal tail as well. Subsequent test iterations up to Ye-6 yielded the basic MiG-21 form. By 1959–60, the Soviet Air Force was flying a small batch of MiG-21F variants armed with two 30mm cannons. This model carried the Soviet Air Force designation “Type 72” and the NATO identification name of “Fishbed B.”