Alexander Mladenov
Posted on 12/29/2015 5:31:03 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
The Bulgarian air force on 18 December held a ceremony to mark the retirement of its last Mikoyan MiG-21 fighters.
Involving the nation's last three serviceable examples – two single-seat MiG-21bis's and a two-seat MiG-21UM1 trainer – the event marked the end of regular flight operations, although the former pair will remain available to conduct quick reaction alert sorties until 31 December. The fighters will then be kept in storage at Graf Ignatievo air base, ready to be returned to airworthy status should the need arise.
Bulgaria's MiG-21 fleet had originally been slated for retirement in 2012, but the type's availability was continued through two life-extension efforts. This was deemed necessary due to airworthiness problems experienced by the air force's Mikoyan MiG-29 fleet.
A potential further extension of the remaining MiG-21s has been rejected due to the cost of overhauling the aircraft, which were manufactured in 1981 and 1982. Instead, the air force has opted to direct its efforts and available funds towards maintaining its struggling MiG-29 fleet.
Meanwhile, the service is awaiting the formal go-ahead for a new fighter procurement. Sofia has been looking at an affordable Western type as a replacement for its fighters and its Sukhoi Su-25 ground-attack aircraft.
Bulgarian operations with the MiG-21 spanned 52 years, with 226 examples in 10 variants fielded between 1963 and 1990, including 86 secondhand jets. Attrition totalled 42 aircraft and 25 pilots lost in training accidents or ground fires between 1966 and 2003.
Following the Bulgarian retirement, Flightglobal's Fleets Analyzer database records 18 nations as still operating a combined total of around 550 MiG-21s.
Alexander Mladenov
Amazing.
I love eastern bloc military surplus. I can’t afford a MIG 21 but there is this makarov i’ve had my eye on...
CC
Israel has a thriving business updating decades old fighter aircraft. They can’t supply them fast enough. The reason? Most countries for most applications just need a platform that flies. Syria is still flying Mig-17-s every day.
The MiG-21 is my favorite module in DCS. I love that little fighter.
Fishbed!!!
Back in 1986, after becoming naturalized I went back to Czechoslovakia to visit relatives. One afternoon we were out in the countryside, and a Czech AF MiG-21 flew in over the valley at maybe 3,000 ft, kicked his afterburner and stood it on its tail right above us. You could see the flame for maybe 15 seconds before he topped out and flew off in another direction. Quite the show...
Those countries are not that big. What do they do, fly their jets in a circle to keep them out of neighboring countries airspace? ;-)
Sitting on a engine and flying fast.
Pretty much, or just fly up and down heh.
I dig commie chic from my Vietnam days, will take an AK-47 over an AR-15/M-16 any day.
Makarov & Tokarev pistol, Nagant revolver, Mosin-Nagant & SKS rifle; neat souvenirs & excellent firearms. Commies are great at designing killing machines.
Thing is, if you could buy one, wonder how it would be to maintain, given the Russian penchant for designing things their and other peasant military could work on.
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