Tech & Auto
The Oldest Fighter Jet Still In Active Military Use
By JOWI MORALES
Although it first entered service with the Soviet Union in 1959, the MiG-21 is still in service for several countries, making it the oldest fighter jet in use today.
The MiG-21 was the second supersonic fighter the Soviets widely operated, allowing its military to refine the design and account for the effects of supersonic flight on aircrafts.
According to a FlightGlobal report, 332 MiG-21s are still in active service globally, spread among 15 operators. The biggest is the Indian Air Force, with 128 units.
Other air forces that use the MiG-21 as part of their military include Syria (51), North Korea (26), Angola (23), Yemen (19), and Romania (16).
However, other countries, such as China, use derivatives of the MiG-21. This means over 1,100 MiG-21s and derivatives are still on active duty 65 years after entering service.
The Chinese-created derivatives are the Chengdu J-7, used by the nation’s military, and the F-7, the export version for other countries.
India also manufactured MiG-21s through a license; however, the country plans to retire its MiG-21 fleet in favor of its own HAL Tejas fighter.