{
  "id": "mig-21",
  "name": "MiG-21 (Fishbed)",
  "aliases": [
    "Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21"
  ],
  "domain": "air",
  "country": "RUS",
  "category": "Fighter aircraft",
  "status": null,
  "fielded": 1959,
  "operators": [
    "RUS",
    "AGO",
    "AZE",
    "CUB",
    "EGY",
    "GIN",
    "GNB",
    "HRV",
    "IND",
    "LBY",
    "MLI",
    "MOZ",
    "PRK",
    "ROU",
    "SDN",
    "SRB",
    "SYR",
    "UGA",
    "YEM",
    "ZMB"
  ],
  "prolif_count": 19,
  "summary": "The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Manufacturer",
      "section": "system",
      "v": "Russia",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "crew",
      "v": 1,
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Hardpoints",
      "section": "armament",
      "v": "4 ea",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "length_m",
      "v": 15.76,
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "width_m",
      "v": 7.5,
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "label": "Wingspan"
    },
    {
      "k": "height_m",
      "v": 4.1,
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "mass_kg",
      "v": 5460,
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "label": "Empty weight"
    },
    {
      "k": "engine_name",
      "v": "1 x R-25-300 turbojet",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "range_km",
      "v": 1225,
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "speed_kmh",
      "v": 2230,
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Cruise speed",
      "section": "mobility",
      "v": "1,000 km/h",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "ceiling_m",
      "v": 19000,
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Fire Control Radar",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "Phazotron Kopyo",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Radar Warning",
      "section": "firecontrol",
      "v": "Sirena",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "NBC Protection",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "Yes",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Chaff / flares",
      "section": "protection",
      "v": "BVP-1F 120 x 26-mm cartridge dispenser",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Wing Mounted Weapon Systems: air-to-air missiles",
      "section": "armament",
      "v": "AA-12 Adder AA-11 Archer AA-10 Alamo AA-8 Aphid AA-2 Atoll",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "",
      "label": "Wing Mounted Weapon Systems: air-to-surface missiles",
      "section": "armament",
      "v": "unguided bombs, rockets AS-17 Krypton AS-12 Kegler AS-9 Kyle KAB-500Kr",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "armament",
      "v": "1 × internal 23 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23L autocannon; R-77 (AA-12 Adder); KH-31 (AS-17 Krypton); KAB-500Kr",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [
    {
      "name": "1 × internal 23 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23L autocannon",
      "role": "Autocannon",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {
        "Type": "Autocannon",
        "Caliber": "23 mm",
        "Rate of fire": "3,400–3,600 rounds/min"
      },
      "qty": "200 ea"
    },
    {
      "name": "R-77 (AA-12 Adder)",
      "role": "Medium-range, active radar homing air-to-air missile.",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {
        "Type": "Medium-range, active radar homing air-to-air missile.",
        "Guidance": "Inertial with mid-course update and terminal active radar homing/infrared homing (R-77T)",
        "Warhead": "22.5 kg HE fragmenting (R-77)",
        "Speed": "Mach 4,Mach 5 for K-77PD (RVV-AE-PD)[",
        "Length": "3.6 m (R-77), 3.71 m (R-77-1)"
      },
      "range_km": [
        80,
        100
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "KH-31 (AS-17 Krypton)",
      "role": "Medium-range air-to-surface",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {
        "Type": "Medium-range air-to-surface",
        "Guidance": "Kh-31A: inertial guidance with active radar homing Kh-31P: inertial with passive radar",
        "Warhead": "HE shaped charge",
        "Warhead weight": "Kh-31A :94 kg (207 lb) Kh-31P :87 kg (192 lb",
        "Speed": "Kh-31A/P: 2,160–2,520 km/h (1,340–1,570 mph) MA-31: Mach 2.7 (low), Mach 3.5 (hi"
      },
      "range_km": -31
    },
    {
      "name": "KAB-500Kr",
      "role": "Electro-optical TV-guided fire and forget bomb",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "caps": {
        "Type": "Electro-optical TV-guided fire and forget bomb",
        "Warhead": "Hardened, armor-piercing warhead",
        "Warhead weight": "380 kg",
        "Length": "3.05 m"
      },
      "range_km": [
        15,
        17
      ]
    }
  ],
  "variants": [
    {
      "name": "Note",
      "text": "MiG-21 Fishbed-A/Ye-50 MiG-21 Fishbed-B/Ye-6 MiG-21F Fishbed-C MiG-21PF Fishbed-D MiG-21PF Fishbed-E MiG-21FL Fishbed-E MiG-21PFM Fishbed-F MiG-21 Fishbed-G MiG-21R Fishbed-H MiG-21PFMA Fishbed-J MiG-21MF Fishbed-J MiG-21M Fishbed-J MiG-21SMB Fishbed-K…",
      "src": [
        "weg-mig-21"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "art": "fighter",
  "image": {
    "file": "mig-21.jpg",
    "thumb": "mig-21-thumb.jpg",
    "credit": "Balon Greyjoy",
    "license": "CC0",
    "url": "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20180328_MiG-21_Udvar-Hazy_2.jpg",
    "title": "File:20180328 MiG-21 Udvar-Hazy 2.jpg"
  },
  "verified": null,
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-10-10",
      "change": "Entry created from the Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN), bulk import"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-10-10",
      "change": "Added photo (CC0)"
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/mig-21.html",
  "sources": {
    "weg-mig-21": {
      "title": "MiG-21 (Fishbed) Russian Fighter Aircraft",
      "publisher": "U.S. Army TRADOC G-2 Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN)",
      "url": "https://odin.t2com.army.mil/WEG/Asset/MiG-21_Fishbed_Russian_Fighter_Aircraft",
      "published": "2026-03-20",
      "tier": 1,
      "checked": "2026-10-10"
    }
  }
}