Image source: topwar.ru
Romania resumes flights of MiG-21 Lancer fighters of the country's Air Force, suspended in mid-April this year due to the high accident rate of the aircraft. At the same time, the Ministry of Defense of the country extends the operation of Soviet fighters for another year. This is stated in the message of the Romanian military department.
On April 15, 2022, the command of the Romanian Air Force suspended all flights of MiG-21 Lancer fighters, stating the high accident rate of the aircraft. The duration of the ban was not called, but it was emphasized that the combat missions of the country's Air Force will be carried out on F-16 fighters purchased from the presence of the Portuguese Air Force in the period from 2016 to 2021. NATO allies will provide security assistance.
Now a decision has been made to resume MiG-21 flights and at the same time the deadlines for their decommissioning have been shifted. According to the Ministry of Defense of the country, it is planned to write off the fighters after May 15, 2023. This is most likely due to problems with the acquisition of 32 F-16 aircraft from the presence of the Norwegian Air Force, which should replace the Soviet MiGs in the future.
To date, the Romanian Air Force has 30 MiG-21 fighters of two modifications: MiG-21 Lancer B and MiG-21 Lancer C. Version B is a two-seat combat training aircraft, and C is an air superiority aircraft. There was also a version A for striking ground targets, but all aircraft of this modification have already been written off.
The first MIG-21 entered service with the Romanian Air Force back in the 60s of the twentieth century. The exact number of aircraft delivered is unknown, but in the 90s more than a hundred MiG-21MF and MiG-21U aircraft underwent modernization, within which they were able to use NATO standard weapons. The modernization program was developed by Israel.