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.”

By 1962, Warsaw Pact nations were receiving deliveries of the improved MiG-21F-13, Type 74 (Fishbed C), featuring an enlarged ventral fin and a change in canopy design. The C model carried only one cannon but had two underwing hardpoints that could load air-to-air or air-to-ground missiles; this would prove to be a fortuitous advancement for the aircraft. Iterations of the MiG-21F set the tone.