North Korea North Korea acquired its first MiG-21s from the Soviet Union in 1963, and possibly earlier, making it one of the very first countries to receive the aircraft. This was the last time the USSR exported its most capable frontline fighter class to its neighbour. During low level hostilities in the inter-
Korean Demilitarised Zone,
Korean People's Army Air Force (KPAAF) MiG-21s were credited with shooting down an American
RF-4C reconnaissance plane on August 31, 1967, an
F-105D fighter five months later on January 14, 1968 and an
F-4B fighter the following month on February 12. On January 23, 1968 a pair of MiG-21 fighters were involved in the first stages of the joint operation with the
Korean People's Army Navy to capture the American
surveillance ship USS Pueblo. The following year, two MiG-21s
shoot down an EC-121 plane in international airspace, killing all 31 Americans servicemen on board. During the
Vietnam War North Korean personnel manned one MiG-21 company and two MiG-17 companies in the North Vietnamese fleet, providing a 50 percent increase to North Vietnam's fighter strength. Between 87 and 96 North Korean pilots served in the conflict, and were credited by North Vietnamese pilots with downing 26 American aircraft while taking 14 losses. During the
Yom Kippur War North Korean veteran pilots, many with more than 2,000 hours flight experience, flew Egyptian and Syrian MiG-21 fighters and engaged Israeli forces multiple times. KPAAF pilots continued to fly Syrian MiG-21s throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s. North Korea made its last known MiG-21 acquisition in the 1990s, and while failing to purchase 133 airframe enhanced MiG-21bis aircraft being retired by Kazakhstan, it was able to acquire 30 of them. The MiG-21bis’ integration of the more powerful R-25 engine, use of four wing hard points instead of two, and compatibility with the R-60 air-to-air missile, made these aircraft significantly superior to its previous MiG-21s. The fighters were acquired for just $200,000 each. The MiG-21bis has continued to play an important role in the North Korean fleet, with the aircraft modernised with multi function cockpit displays and new communications equipment. MiG-21BiS pilots also began sporting new helmets and flight suits around 2015, while a range of indigenous air to ground munitions including bombs and anti tank guided missiles have been produced in the country such as the AGP-250 GNSS guided glide bomb. Integration of indigenous electronic warfare systems has also been speculated.
India 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. A first batch of eight pilots trained on
MiG-15s and
MiG-17s at the
Lugovaya Air base to familiarise themselves with the Russian aircraft models and procedures from late October 1962 to early January 1963, before transitioning to the MiG-21s, which later formed the
No. 28 Squadron of the IAF. In 1963, the MiG-21 became the first supersonic fighter aircraft to enter service with the IAF. Due to limited numbers and lack of training, the IAF MiG-21s played a limited role during 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 the IAF pilots prompted India to place more orders for the fighter jet and invest in building the MiG-21's maintenance infrastructure and pilot training programs. Since 1963, India inducted more than 1,200 MiG-21s into its air force. At its peak, the IAF operated 400 MiG-21s across 19 squadrons. The expansion of the MiG-21 fleet helped India develop a military partnership with Soviet Union, to counter Chinese and Pakistani threats.
India-Pakistan Wars The only known combat engagement of the MiG-21s during the
Indo-Pakistani war of 1965 took place on the 4 September 1965 when a MiG-21FL of
No. 28 Squadron damaged a
F-86E with two
R-3S missiles. During the
Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, the MiG-21s played a major role for the IAF in to establish
air superiority over vital points and areas of conflict. The war witnessed the first supersonic
dog fight in the
India subcontinent when an Indian MiG-21FL shot a
Pakistan Air Force (PAF)
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter with its GSh-23 twin-barrelled cannon. The IAF MiG-21FLs had an upper hand in the highly anticipated air combat with the PAF F-104A Starfighters. As per the IAF, the MiG-21s had claimed four F-104As, two
Shenyang F-6Cs, one
North American F-86F Sabre and one
Lockheed C-130E Hercules aircraft of the PAF. During the
Kargil war in 1999, the IAF MiG-21s were pressed into
combat air patrols and reconnaissance duties at high altitudes in
Kashmir. As a part of
Operation Safed Sagar, the aircraft flew multiple sorties against Pakistani positions and provided air support to
Indian Army units. However, operating at high altitudes proved extremely challenging for the aircraft, limiting its effectiveness as a fighter aircraft. On 27 May 1999, a MiG-21 was shot down by Pakistani Ground Fire in Kargil, and the pilot was captured and later killed by Pakistani forces.
Later years On 10 August 1999, two MiG-21FLs of the IAF
intercepted and shot down a Pakistani
Bréguet 1150 Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft with an
R-60 missile after it allegedly entered Indian
airspace for surveillance, killing all 16 on board. In December 2013, the MiG-21FL variants were decommissioned by the IAF. The aircraft was further involved during the
2019 India–Pakistan border skirmishes, with a PAF
F-16 shooting down an IAF MiG-21, whose pilot was captured and later returned to India. Since 1970, more than 170 IAF pilots and 40 civilians were killed in MiG-21 accidents, thus the earning the aircraft the nickname of "flying coffin". 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 a small object led to an engine surge/seizure and flame out. Poor maintenance and quality of replacement parts was considered to be a factor in the crashes. As a result, the IAF announced that it would replace its remaining fleet of MiG-21 Bison aircraft with the indigenous
HAL Tejas fighter aircraft in 2023. In October 2023, the aircraft made the final public appearance at the Air Force Day flypast held at
Prayagraj. The aircraft were put on standby during the
2025 India–Pakistan conflict, however were not utilised. The aircraft were retired in August 2025 in a ceremony at the
Nal Air Force Station in
Bikaner, which was the last airbase operating the aircraft. An official farewell ceremony was held at
Chandigarh Air Force Station on 26 September 2025.
Indonesia in the
Yogyakarta Air Force Museum 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 a lack of spare parts and the withdrawal of Soviet maintenance support. The MiGs were added to the
4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron ("Red Eagles"), a
USAF aggressor squadron at Tonopah Test Range.
Vietnam War markings exhibited at the
National Museum of the United States Air Force in
Ohio MiG-21 number 4324, flown by various pilots, was credited with 14 kills during the
Vietnam War 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 the
Vietnam People's Air Force's (VPAF) oldest fighter unit, the 921st Fighter Regiment (921st FR), which had been created on 3 February 1964 as a MiG-17 unit. Because the VPAF's 923rd FR was newer and less experienced, they continued to operate MiG-17s, while the arrival of the MiG-19s (
J-6 versions) from China in 1969 led to North Vietnam's only MiG-19 unit, the 925th FR. On 3 February 1972, North Vietnam commissioned its fourth and last fighter regiment created during the war with South Vietnam, the MiG-21PFM (Type 94)-equipped 927th FR. Former MiG-17 pilot
Nguyen Nhat Chieu and his
wingman Tran Ngoc Siu intercepted
USAF F-105Ds while on
CAP duty over
Phuc Yen Airbase (a.k.a. Noi Bai Airbase) on 7 July 1966, shooting down one piloted by Capt. Tomes with a salvo from Tran's
UB-16-57/
S-5M unguided rocket-equipped MiG-21; this was the first instance of a VPAF MiG-21 shooting down a piloted enemy aircraft in the Vietnam War. (Flight leader Nguyen was unable to establish a lock on another, wildly-evading F-105 with his R-3S AAM.) 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 British author Roger Boniface got when he interviewed Pham Ngoc Lan and ace
Nguyễn Nhật Chiêu (who scored victories flying both the 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 an
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, its
RP-21 Sapfir radar helped make it 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 U.S. aircraft or forcing them to jettison their bomb loads.
Aerial combat victories 1966–1972 The VPAF flew their interceptors with guidance from ground controllers, who positioned the MiGs in ambush battle stations to make "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 The USAF and the US Navy had high expectations of the F-4 Phantom, assuming that their massive firepower, best available on-board radar, highest speed and acceleration properties, coupled with new tactics, would provide 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 46 air battles between F-4s and MiG-21s, losses amounted to 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 ratio against the smaller, more agile enemy MiGs during the early part of the 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 its own version, called 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 supersonic
F-5 Tiger II, as well as the Mach 2.4-capable USAF
Convair F-106 Delta Dart, to mimic the MiG-21. The culmination of the air struggle over Vietnam 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 (the U.S. confirmed five F-4s were lost.) The F-4s, in turn, managed to destroy two MiG-21s, three MiG-17s and one MiG-19. On 11 May, two MiG-21s, playing the "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 and a second pair of MiGs made a missile attack before being hit by two F-4s. On 18 May, VPAF aircraft made 26 sorties, eight of which resulted in combat, downing four F-4s without any VPAF 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 number of air battles between American and Vietnamese planes stood at 201. The VPAF lost 54 MiGs (including 36 MiG-21s and one MiG-21US) and claimed 90 U.S. aircraft shot down, including 74 F-4 fighters and two RF-4C reconnaissance jets (MiG-21s shot down 67 enemy aircraft while MiG-17s shot down 11 and MiG-19s downed another 12). One MiG-21 was shot down on 21 February 1972 by a USAF F-4 Phantom based at
Udorn RTAFB,
Thailand and piloted by Major Lodge with 1st Lt Roger Locher as his
weapon systems officer (WSO). This was claimed as the first-ever USAF 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 ever made by the B-52. The first aerial victory was scored on 18 December 1972 by tail gunner Staff Sgt Samuel Turner, who was awarded the
Silver Star. The second took place on 24 December 1972, when A1C Albert E. Moore downed 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 bombers.
Hanoi's MiG-17 and MiG-19 interceptors could not deal with the B-52s at their flying altitude. In the summer of 1972, the VPAF was directed to train 12 MiG-21 pilots for the specific mission of shooting the B-52 bombers, with two-thirds of the pilots specifically trained in night attacks. On 26 December 1972, just two days after tail gunner Albert Moore downed a 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. The B-52 had been above Hanoi at over when Major Tuân launched two Atoll missiles from 2 kilometres away and claimed to have destroyed one of the bombers flying in the three-plane formation. Other sources argue that the Atoll missiles failed to hit their mark, but as it was disengaging, a B-52 from a three-bomber cell in front of his target took a hit from a
surface-to-air missile (SAM), exploding in mid-air: this may have caused Tuân to think his missiles destroyed the target he had been aiming for. The Vietnamese claimed another kill 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 for any reason on the date of the claimed kill. ;Year-by-year kill claims involving MiG-21s On 3 January 1968, a single MiG-21 pilot, Ha Van Chuc, entered battle with 36 American planes and claimed one F-105 Thunderchief. During the war, the VPAF claimed 103 F-4 Phantoms were shot down by MiG-21s, and that they lost 60 MiG-21s in air combat (54 by Phantoms).
Arab–Israeli conflicts shot down by an Egyptian MiG-21 during the
Yom Kippur War The MiG-21 was also used extensively in Middle Eastern 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 IIICJs 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, both acquired by Israel starting 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" (Syrian: مناورة السرعة صفر). During the opening attacks of the 1967
Six-Day War, the
Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck Arab air forces in four attack waves. In the first wave, Israeli pilots 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 more MiG-21s downed in air-to-air combat, with the third wave resulting claimed air victories over two Syrian and one Iraqi MiG-21. 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 its 60 MiG-21F-13s and MiG-21PFs in the air and on the ground. On 18 April, one Israeli scout RF-4E "Phantom" was damaged by a Soviet MiG-21MF. In all, during March and August 1970, Soviet MiG-21 pilots and SAM crews destroyed 21 Israeli aircraft (eight by
SA-3 missile systems and 13 by MiG-21s) at a cost of 5 MiG-21s shot down by the IAF, helping to convince the Israelis to sign a
ceasefire. 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 and eight probables against Israeli aircraft by its MiG-21s. However, no major sources from the time reported on such an incident, and there is no mention of "Captain Lutz" in
Israel's Ministry of Defense's record of Israel's casualties of war. Between the end of the Yom Kippur War and the start of the
1982 Lebanon War, Israel received modern F-15s and F-16s which were far superior to the old Syrian MiG-21MFs. According to the IDF, these new aircraft shot down 24 Syrian MiG-21s over this period, though Syria did claim five IAF kills by MiG-21s armed with outdated
K-13 missiles; Israel denied that it had suffered any losses. Syria claimed two confirmed and 15 probable kills of Israeli aircraft. In the largest air battle since the Korean War, one Israeli F-15 was heavily damaged by a Syrian MiG-21 firing a
R-60 (missile), but was able to make back to base for repairs. 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 during the Syrian civil war was recorded on 30 August 2012. The MiG, registration number 2271, was likely downed by heavy machine gun fire on takeoff or landing at
Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase,
under siege by rebels. A few days later, on 4 September 2012, another MiG-21 (registration number 2280) was shot down in similar circumstances at the same base, also likely on takeoff or landing by rebels using by
KPV 14.5 mm machine guns; the downing was recorded on video. On 10 November 2014, Syrian Air Force MiG-21bis number 2204 was shot down, and its pilot killed, by rebels either using a MANPADS or antiaircraft guns, near the town of
Sabburah, 45 km east of
Hama Airbase where it was likely based. Video and photo evidence of the crash site later emerged. Four months after a MiG-23 was shot down and during which time the Syrian Air Force suffered no losses from enemy fire, one of its MiG-21s was shot down on 12 March 2016 by the
Jaysh al-Nasr faction over
Hama near
Kafr Nabudah. While the
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, as suggested by video evidence, reported that the warplane had been downed by two MANPADS, Jaysh al-Nasr militants claimed to have shot it down with anti-aircraft guns. The pilot appeared to have bailed out of the stricken MiG, but died from ground fire or other causes. On 4 March 2017, a Syrian MiG-21bis from No. 679 squadron, operating out of Hama Airbase and piloted by Col. Mohammad Sawfan, was shot down by
Ahrar al-Sham rebels, crashing in
Turkish territory near the border. Col. Sawfan successfully ejected but was arrested and taken to a hospital in
Antakya, Turkey. A recording between the pilot and ground controller clearly showed Sawfan's disorientation due to a malfunctioning compass, followed by a failure of the entire navigation system. He could not find his way back to base as ordered and inadvertently flew within range of rebel anti-aircraft guns. After being suspended for a number of years, Sawfan was allowed to return to service.
Libyan–Egyptian War Egypt received American
Sidewinder missiles, fitting them to their MiG-21s and successfully using them in combat against Libyan Mirages and MiG-23s during the brief
Egyptian–Libyan War of July 1977.
Iran–Iraq War During the
Iran–Iraq War, 23 Iraqi MiG-21s were shot down by
Iranian F-14s, as confirmed by Iranian, Western and Iraqi sources and another 29 Iraqi MiG-21s were downed by F-4s. However, from 1980 to 1988, Iraqi MiG-21s shot down 43 Iranian fighter aircraft.
Libya Libyan Civil War (2011) Libyan MiG-21s saw limited service during the
2011 Libyan civil war. On 15 March 2011, one MiG-21bis and one MiG-21UM flown by
defecting Libyan Air Force pilots flew from
Ghardabiya Airbase near
Sirte to
Benina Airport to join the rebellion's
Free Libyan Air Force. On 17 March 2011, the MiG-21UM experienced a technical fault and crashed after taking off from Benina.
Libyan Civil War (2014–2020) In the
Second Libyan Civil War (2014–2020), the
Libyan National Army, under the command of
Khalifa Haftar is loyal to the legislative body in
Tobruk, which is the
Libyan House of Representatives, internationally recognised until October 2015. It fights against the now internationally recognized
Government of National Accord and the
Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries as well as
Islamic State in Libya which are common enemies for both the
Government of National Accord and the
Libyan National Army. Both the
Libyan National Army and the
Government of National Accord field small airforces. As such, a number of former Libyan Arab Air Force (LARAF) MiG-21s were returned to service with the Tobruk-based
Libyan National Army, thanks to spare parts and technical assistance from Egypt and Russia, while a number of former Egyptian Air Force MiG-21s were pressed into service as well. MiG-21s under the control of the Libyan
House of Representatives have been used extensively to bomb forces loyal to the rival
General National Congress in
Benghazi during the
2014 Libyan Civil War. On 29 August 2014, an LNA MiG-21bis, serial number 208, after a bombing mission over Derna, crashed in
Bayda according to an official statement as a result of a technical failure of the plane, while Islamist
Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries claimed it was shot down. The pilot did not eject and died in the crash. On 2 September 2014 an LNA MiG-21bis, serial number 800, crashed in a city block of
Tobruk, due to pilot error during a pull-up maneuver. It is unclear whether the pilot had been on a bombing mission on the way to Derna, further East, or had been performing an aerial ceremony for the MiG-21 pilot who died a few days earlier. Part of the
2019 Western Libya offensive, on 9 April 2019, a
Libyan National Army MiG-21 made a low altitude diving rocket attack, probably firing
S-24 rockets on Mitiga airport in Tripoli, making limited damages to one of the runways. On 14 April 2019, a
Libyan National Army MiG-21MF was shot down by a
surface-to-air missile, probably a
MANPADS fired by the forces of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) south of Tripoli. Video evidence confirmed the MiG-21 came under fire from anti-aircraft guns, small arms and two
SAMs, one of which apparently hit the target. The pilot, Colonel Jamal Ben Amer ejected safely and recovered to LNA-held territory by a Mi-35 helicopter. LNA sources confirmed the loss but blamed a technical problem.
Horn of Africa During the
Ogaden War of 1977–78,
Ethiopian Air Force F-5As engaged
Somali Air Force MiG-21MFs in combat on several occasions. In one lopsided incident, two F-5As piloted by Israeli advisers or mercenaries engaged four MiG-21MFs. The MiGs were handled incompetently by the Somali pilots, and the F-5As destroyed two while the surviving pilots collided with each other avoiding an
AIM-9. This effect was enhanced by the poor quality of pilot training provided by the Soviets, which provided limited flight time and focussed exclusively on taking off and landing, with no practical training in air combat.
Angola Despite extensive losses to
man-portable air-defense systems, MiG-21s were instrumental during the
Battle of Cuito Cuanavale; Cuban pilots became accustomed to flying up to three sorties a day. Both the MiG-21MF and the MiG-21bis were deployed almost exclusively in the
fighter/bomber role. As interceptors, they were somewhat unsuccessful due to their inability to detect low-flying South African aircraft. On 6 November 1981, a Mirage F1CZ achieved South Africa's first confirmed air-to-air kill since the
Korean War when it destroyed Cuban Lieutenant Danacio Valdez's MiG-21MF with 30mm cannon fire. On 5 October 1982, Mirages escorting an
English Electric Canberra on routine reconnaissance over
Cahama were engaged by at least two MiG-21bis. A South African radar operator picked up the attacking MiGs and was able to alert the Mirage pilots in advance, instructing them to change course immediately. As they jettisoned their auxiliary tanks, however, they were pinpointed by the Cubans, who opened pursuit. In a vicious
dogfight, SAAF Major John Rankin closed range and maneuvered into the MiGs' rear cones. From there, one of his two
R.550 Magic missiles impacted directly behind the lead MiG and forced it down. The second aircraft, piloted by Lieutenant Raciel Marrero Rodriguez, could not detect the Mirage's proximity until it had entered his turn radius and was perforated by Rankin's autocannon. This damaged MiG-21 landed safely at
Lubango. On 9 August 1984, a particularly catastrophic accident occurred when the 9th Fighter Training Squadrons and the 12th Fighter Squadrons of the Cuban Air Force attempted to carry out an exercise in poor weather. A single MiG-21bis and three MiG-23s were lost. The jet was returned to Angola, flying in an Angolan
Il-76 cargo plane, as a sign of goodwill on 15 September 2017.
Democratic Republic of the Congo The MiG-21MFs of the 25th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the
National Air Force of Angola flew ground sorties during the
Second Congo War, sometimes being piloted by mercenaries. Yugoslav Air force units that operated MiG-21s were the
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 1990s'
Yugoslav wars, the
Yugoslav military used MiG-21s in a ground-attack role, while Croatian and Slovene forces did not yet have air forces at that point in the conflict. Aircraft from air bases in Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina were relocated to air bases in Serbia. Detailed records show at least seven MiG-21s were shot down by AA defenses in
Croatia and
Bosnia. A MiG-21
piloted by a Serbian Yugoslav Air Force pilot shot down an EC helicopter in 1992. 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 a
friendly fire accident. In 1993, Croatia purchased about 40 MiG-21s in violation of an arms embargo,
Romania In 1962,
Romanian Air Force (RoAF) received the first 12 MiG-21F-13, followed by another 12 of the same variant in 1963. Deliveries continued over the next years with other variants: 38 aircraft of MiG-21RFM (PF) variant in 1965, 7 MiG-21U-400/600 in 1965–1968, 56 MiG-21RFMM (PFM) in 1966–1968, 12 MiG-21R in 1968–1972, 68 MiG-21M plus 11 MiG-21US in 1969–1970, 74 MiG-21MF/MF-75 in 1972–1975, and 27 MiG-21UM in 1972–1980 plus another 5 of the same variant in 1990, for a total number of 322 aircraft. In 1995–2002, a total of 111 MiG-21s were modernized, of which 71 were M and MF/MF-75 variants modernized under the LanceR A designation (for ground attack), 14 were UM variant as LanceR B designation (trainer), and another 26 MF/MF-75 variant were modernized under LanceR C designation (air superiority). Despite being one of the newest MiG-21 fleets in service, the Romanian MiG-21 LanceR fleet was grounded due to difficulties maintaining the aircraft, and since 1996 it has had an accident rate of over 30 per 100,000 hours. Serviceability rates below 50% are not uncommon. The Romanian Air Force has suffered numerous events in recent years with its arsenal of MiG-21s. On 12 June 2017, a MiG-21 crashed in
Constanța County, with Adrian Stancu, the pilot, managing to escape in time. On 7 July 2018, Florin Rotaru died during an airshow in
Borcea with some 3,000 attendants while piloting a MiG-21 that suffered technical difficulties, choosing to deflect the plane and die to protect the attendants rather than ejecting himself in time. On 20 April 2021, during a training flight, a MiG-21 crashed in an uninhabited zone in
Mureș County. The pilot, Andrei Criste, managed to eject safely and survived the crash. On the March 2nd 2022, A MiG-21 LanceR crashed during adverse weather conditions near the village of Gura Dobrogei,
Cogealac Commune. On 15 April 2022, the RoAF suspended all MiG-21 LanceR flights due to the high rate of accidents, and announced that it planned to speed up the acquisition of the ex-Norwegian F-16s. On 23 May, the LanceRs resumed flights for a period of one year, until 15 May 2023. On 15 May 2023, a retirement ceremony was held for the aircraft at the
71st Air Base, and at the
86th Air Base. From there, the MiG-21 took off to their final destination at the
95th Air Base.
Bulgaria The
Bulgarian Air Force received a total of 224 MiG-21 aircraft. From September 1963 the 19th Fighter Regiment of the Air Force received 12 MiG-21F-13s. Later some of these aircraft were converted for reconnaissance as MiG-21F-13Rs, which were submitted to the 26th Reconnaissance Regiment in 1988. In January 1965 the 18th Fighter Regiment received a squadron of 12 MiG-21PFs, some of which also were converted and used as reconnaissance aircraft (MiG-oboznachevnieto 21PFR). The 26 Regiment reconnaissance aircraft from this squadron were removed from service in 1991, the 15 Fighter Regiment in 1965 received another 12 MiG-21PF fighters and in 1977–1978 operated another 36 refurbished aircraft. This unit received two more aircraft in 1984 and operated them until 1992. For reconnaissance, a regiment received 26 specialized reconnaissance MiG-21Rs in 1962, and in 1969–1970, 19 Fighter Aviation Regiment received 15 MiG-21m aircraft, which operated in 21 Fighter Aviation Regiment and were removed from active service in 1990. An additional 12 MiG-21MF fighters were received in 1974–1975, with a reconnaissance version of the MiG-21MFR provided to the 26th Reconnaissance Regiment and used until 2000, when removed from active service. From 1983 to 1990, the Bulgaria Air Force received 72 MiG-21bis. Of these, 30 (six new and renovated) are under option with ACS and provided to the 19th Fighter Regiment; the rest are equipped with the "Lazur". This batch was taken out of service in 2000. Besides fighters, the Air Force has received 39 MiG-21U trainers (one in 1966), five MiG-21US in 1969–1970 and 27 MiG-21UM (new) during 1974–1980, another six refurbished ex-Soviet examples in 1990. In 1982, three MiG-21UM trainers were sold to Cambodia and in 1994 another 10 examples. MiG-21UMs were also sold to India. Other training aircraft were removed from active service in 2000. A total of 38 aircraft were lost in the period 1963–2000. The last flight of a
Bulgarian Air Force MiG-21 took off from
Graf Ignatievo Air Base on 31 December 2015. On 18 December 2015, there was an official ceremony for the retirement of the type from active duty.
Known MiG-21 aces Several pilots have attained
ace status (five or more aerial victories/kills) while flying the MiG-21.
Nguyễn Văn Cốc of the VPAF, who scored nine kills in MiG-21s is regarded as the most successful. Twelve other VPAF pilots were credited with five or more aerial victories while flying the MiG-21:
Phạm Thanh Ngân, of the Iraqi Air Force with four known kills scored during the
Iran–Iraq War (until 1991; sometimes referred to as the Persian Gulf War), A. Wafai of the Egyptian Air Force with four known kills against Israel. ==Variants==