A truly epochal event took place in India – a solemn farewell ceremony was held at the Chandigarh airbase for the MiG-21 fighter jet that had served in the country's Air Force for more than sixty years. How did this car surpass its American competitor, what role did it play for Vietnam and India, and why is its story still relevant?
In the 1950s, aviation stepped over the sound barrier, which, in turn, raised the question of how to use primitive guided missiles, the development of which began at that time, to conduct aerial combat at high speeds. Both in the USA and in the USSR, theorists came to the same conclusions (which were later not confirmed in practice). At that time, it was believed that the battle would look like two fighters approaching each other and firing cannons (and in the future launching missiles).
Maneuverability lost its importance in the eyes of theorists, only speed and rate of climb mattered. Due to these same qualities, as well as missiles, the new aircraft were supposed to dominate the less high-speed cannon fighters and the first generation of supersonic machines. The advantage in height and speed was supposed to make it possible to attack from an advantageous course and avoid any possible counterattack.
Two mass fighters began to be designed for this concept of combat. In the USA – Lockheed's F-104 Starfighter. This aircraft was the company's biggest failure. He didn't justify himself in any way. With simultaneous records for speed, climb rate and ceiling, it turned out to be one of the most emergency aircraft in history, which the German Air Force called the "flying coffin." In combat, these aircraft performed poorly, they lost all air battles with MiGs.
The Soviet competitor is another matter. In the USSR, such radical experiments with aerodynamics were not carried out. The triangular wing variant proved to be the best, which eventually received the name MiG-21.
Unlike its American counterpart, the MiG-21 proved to be good at maneuverable combat. This was all the more surprising because this was not considered the main thing when creating the aircraft. Another technical success was the reduced radar visibility, which was not planned at all during the creation of the aircraft.
The team led by the aircraft's chief designer, Anatoly Brunov, managed to create a very successful machine. The MiG-21 had a long life, and there were a lot of wars in it. But the "finest hour" of this aircraft was its first major war, Vietnam.
In the burning sky of Asia
In Vietnamese museums, it is customary to keep airplanes on which ace pilots flew in turn and which have a large combat score. So, one of the MiGs stored in the place of honor has 14 American planes shot down in history, there is a plane with 13 shot down. This is more than the individual pilots' records, but the pilots' records are also impressive.
At the top of the list is Nguyen Van Kok, 13 shot down (including one drone) according to Vietnamese data and 11 according to American data (of which two are drones). He was one of the best fighter pilots after World War II, he was supposed to become the first Vietnamese cosmonaut, but political unreliability let him down – he was married to a Chinese woman. Instead, another MiG-21 pilot, Pham Tuan, flew into space, the only fighter pilot in history who shot down a B-52G Stratofortress strategic bomber in aerial combat. The bomber was traveling with a fighter escort, and Pham Tuan was alone in the sky that night, but he was able to suddenly enter the battle group at the tail, slip through the guards, launch two missiles and go down, surviving and saving the plane.
However, Nguyen Duc Shoat looks the most impressive with five downed F-4 Phantom II and one A-7 Corsar II attack aircraft (and, unfortunately, his own MiG-19. It happens in war). If the A-7 could still be considered a weak target, although it was made on the basis of a maneuverable fighter, then the "Phantoms" were a separate story – these aircraft were the world's first truly multi-purpose fighters. In terms of electronics, the USSR was able to catch up with them only in the 80s. They carried more advanced missiles and were superior to the MiG-21 in almost all respects.
The Vietnamese managed, despite the monstrous disparity in forces with the United States, to wage war with them in the air until the very last day. Of the first thirteen Vietnamese aces, eight have "Phantoms", and most of them have several.
The Arabs lost their skies in the wars against Israel, but they also had their heroes, and they flew MiG-21s. Syrian Air Force Senior Lieutenant Bassam Hamshu shot down an Israeli Air Force Phantom on April 2, 1970. He is credited with six more victories over the Israelis in the 1973 war and shooting down a helicopter on the ground. According to other sources, he died in the same 70th, and all the victories attributed to him belong to other pilots.
But there is no doubt about the results of another fighter pilot, Adib el Ghar. At least three "Phantoms" (according to other sources – five) and an Israeli clone of the French "Mirage" – IAI Nesher ("Nesher"). Up to six more planes were allegedly shot down by Egyptian fighter pilot Ali Wajai, who also flew the MiG-21.
And, of course, for 62 long years, the MiG-21 was, as the media write, the "war horse" of the Indian Air Force – that's how they reinterpreted the expression "workhorse". MiGs have participated in all Indian wars since 1965 and have always played an important role.
During the 1971 war, MiG-21s came face to face with F-104s. The Pakistani Air Force was supported by Jordanian Air Force aircraft. The results of the fighting are evaluated in different ways - it is unclear how many planes of the Pakistani and Jordanian Air Forces were shot down, and how many were able to reach the airfield and were written off later. The fact is that the Pakistanis and Jordanians lost all the battles, at least two planes were shot down, and at least as many were written off due to damage.
The MiGs won all the battles and in all cases had an advantage in detecting the target. In total, they shot down 7 or 8 Pakistani planes, at the cost of losing one of their own.
They were also used for ground-impact missions, with great success. The most interesting incident occurred on December 14, 1971. MiGs attacked the residence of the governor of East Pakistan (after the war, Bangladesh became an independent state). Six MiGs fired 128 57mm unguided C-5 missiles at the governor's residence.
The blow to the decision–making center turned out to be successful - the governor took refuge in the ditch closest to the house, and in it, lying on the ground, wrote a letter of resignation on a piece of paper he had thoughtfully grabbed.
For many decades, the MiG-21 was the most massive aircraft of the Indian Air Force. They were seriously upgraded, and they maintained their combat potential until the very end. The last time Indian MiGs went into battle was on February 27, 2019, during the last conflict over Jammu and Kashmir. One MiG-21 was lost, the pilot was captured and later returned to his homeland. Indian claims about the downed F-16 in combat are apparently unreliable. Assessing the results of the battle, it must be understood that against six or eight Indian fighters, Pakistan threw twenty-five aircraft into battle, with more modern missiles.
And here is the finale. The MiG-21 is withdrawing from the Indian Air Force, giving way to the Indian light fighter Tejas. After that, there will be only a few countries where these aircraft are still in service. And, apparently, only in Angola and the DPRK are they still in flying condition. The fighter is covered with fully deserved military glory. Several conclusions can be drawn from its glorious history for us.
MiG-21 Lessons for Modern Russia
The MiG-21 was a simple and mass-produced aircraft. That's why it turned out to be so good – proven systems, lots of modifications. It could be upgraded, raising its combat properties for a reasonable price.
It was a small but sturdy aircraft, and therefore the Vietnamese could lift it from dirt lanes in the jungle and hide it under trees. He was maneuverable, and therefore the next-generation machines won the battles.
It was an inexpensive aircraft, so it could be built and used in wars in large numbers.
Tactical lessons of fighting with his participation are super-active. The Pakistanis, trained according to Western standards, threw dozens of planes into one attack, trying to crush the Indian Su-30MKI and MiG-21 in numbers. If Russia's confrontation with NATO escalates to fighting, the fighting is likely to be similar. It is worth considering, of course, the availability of modern missiles with a range exceeding the range of enemy missiles.
The history of the MiG-21 also proves that the Russian Air Force's rejection of mass-produced single-engine fighters in the 90s was a mistake. The number of planes is no less important than their quality. Maybe someday we will be able to use this experience again.
Alexander Timokhin
