Summary

  • Indian Air Force has the most active MiG-21s, with 54 aircraft, planning to retire them by 2025.
  • Syrian Air Force has 51 MiG-21s, lost many during the Yom Kippur War in 1977
  • Korean People’s Army Air Force ranks third with 26 MiG-21s, received aircraft from 1963 to 1999.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a Russian-built supersonic fighter jet and interceptor aircraft designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. The aircraft first flew in 1955 and entered the Soviet Air Forces in 1959. Nearly 70 years after its first flight, the type is still operated by several global air forces.

5

Yemeni Air Force

MiG-21 fleet size: 19

  • Total acquired aircraft following the civil war: 28
  • 24 MiG-21bis
  • Four MiG-21UM
  • Eight never returned from Odesa

Number five on our list of global air forces with the most MiG-21 aircraft is Yemeni Air Force, with 19 aircraft. The air operations branch of the Yemeni Armed Forces was established in 1990 and is responsible for the aerial warfare and aerial defense of the country. Most aircraft were acquired as donations from various countries, particularly those supporting the Soviet Union or the United States during the Cold War.

MiG-21.001

Photo: National Museum of the United States Air Force

Following the 1994 civil war, most existing aircraft were acquired from the air forces of South and North Yemen. More recently, eight out of 24 MiG never returned from Odesa in Ukraine after the Yemeni Air Force failed to make a partial payment for overhaul services. Some reports suggest that some existing MiG-21s may be in storage. Notably, most of the Yemeni Air Force was destroyed by the Saudi Arabian-led airstrike in Yemen.

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4

National Air Force of Angola (FAPA-DAA)

MiG-21 fleet size: 23

  • 9th Fighter Training Squadron
  • 24th Air Instructional Regiment
  • 25th Air Combat Fighter Regiment

    • 11th Fighter Squadron
    • 12th Fighter Squadron – replaced by MiG-23 in 1987
    • 13th Fighter Squadron – replaced by MiG-23 in 1987

On number four is the National Air Force of Angola, with 23 Russian-built MiG-21 in its fleet. The air branch of the Armed Forces of Angola was established in 1976, and is responsible for aerial warfare support to the country. The Air Force currently employs over 6,000 active personnel and utilizes a fleet of 286 military aircraft of different types.

Indian Air Force MiG-21

Photo: Indian Air Force

The air force has been receiving MiG-21s since 1976 and deploying them in various units within the Armed Forces. The force lost several aircraft on multiple occasions in the 1980s. While very little is known about the current missions of the MiG-21 fleet, there have been reports of having 23 active in 2022.

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3

Korean People’s Army Air Force (KPAAF)

MiG-21 fleet size: 26

  • Approximately 200 MiG-21s have reportedly been delivered to KPAAF
  • Around 1963: 14 MiG-21F-13 were delivered
  • 1966-1967: 66 MiG-21F-13 were delivered
  • 1968-1971: 65 MiG-21PFM were delivered
  • 1974: 24 MiG-21PFM were delivered
  • 1985: 150 MiG-21PFM and MiG-21MF were delivered
  • 1999: 38 MiG-21bis izdiye 75A were delivered

The Korean People’s Army Air Force (KPAAF) ranks number three with 26 active MiG-21 aircraft. The second-largest branch of the Korean People’s Army is tasked to defend the North Korean airspace. Established in 1946, the force has over 110,000 active personnel in different roles and utilizes over 950 aircraft and one satellite. As such, the KPAAF is equipped for aerial defense, aerial warfare, and space warfare.

A MiG-21 on an airport apron.

The North Korean agency continuously received its MiG-21 aircraft from 1963 until at least 1999. In the early years, the force’s MiG-21s destroyed a handful of United States Air Force (USAF) and US Navy (USN) aircraft.

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2

Syrian Air Force (SAF)

MiG-21 fleet size: 51

  • 1965: 45 MiG-21F-13 were delivered
  • 1966: 36 MiG-21PF were delivered
  • 1967: 6 MiG-21F-13 were lost
  • 1967: 32 MiG-21F-13 and MiG-21PF were destroyed
  • From 1968: 100 MiG-21PFM and MiG-21PFS

Runner up on our list is the Syrian Air Force (SAF), also known as the Syrian Arab Air Force (SAAF), with 51 Russian-built MiG-21s in its fleet. The air force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces was established in 1948 and is responsible for aerial warfare support to the country. The SAF employs over 15,000 active personnel and utilizes a fleet of over 450 military aircraft.

A MiG-21 on display.

Photo: Museum of the United States Air Force

The SAF has received numerous MiG-21s over the years. However, with several conflicts since the 1960s, the agency has lost many of its aircraft and personnel: The SAF lost a large number of MiG-21s during the Yom Kippur War in 1973, part of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Cold War. At least 7-8 Squadrons still operate MiG-21s within the SAF.

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1

Indian Air Force (IAF)

MiG-21 fleet size: 54

  • 1963: 8 MiG-21F-13 were delivered
  • 1964: 2 MiG-21F-13 and 2 MiG-21PF were delivered
  • 1971: 65 MiG-21M were delivered
  • 1997: 45 MiG:21U were delivered

Topping our list of global air forces with the most active MiG-21s is the Indian Air Force (IAF), with 54 active aircraft in its combat fleet. The air arm of the Indian Armed Forces was established in 1950 and is responsible for conducting aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It is one of the largest air forces in the world, with nearly 175,000 active personnel, 140,000 reserves, and an extensive military fleet of over 1,900 aircraft.

A MIG-21 fighter plane used by India in Kargil war 1999

Photo: Rudra Narayan Mitra l Shutterstock

The Bharat Rakshak points out that the IAF received its first lot of MiG-21s in 1963, after which many examples entered IAF service in the following years and decades. While the IAF has been operating the type for over 60 years, it plans to retire the last of its MiG-21s by 2025.

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What are your thoughts on the largest global air forces having Russian-manufactured MiG-21 fighter jets? Share your views in the comment section.

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