RT：印度空军告别其主力战机米格-21
正文翻译
Indian Air Force bids adieu to its workhorse, the MiG-21
RT：印度空军告别其主力战机米格-21
Inducted in 1964, the legendary fighter jet served in wars, airstrikes, and historic dogfights – cementing its place in India’s military legacy
这款传奇战斗机于 1964 年列装，曾参与多场战争、空袭及历史性空战，在印度军事史上留下了不可磨灭的印记
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is finally set to retire its MiG-21 fleet this weekend after over 60 years of glorious service. India was among the three major operators after the Soviet unx and China (licensed variant Chengdu J-7).
在经历了 60 余年的辉煌服役后，印度空军（IAF）将于本周末正式退役其米格-21 机队。印度曾是继苏联和中国（授权生产的成都歼-7）之后该机型三大主要使用国之一。
The MIG-21 has been the workhorse of the IAF. It was inducted in 1963 and has continued in service ever since. In August 2019, the IAF made headlines when its jets launched airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist facility in Pakistan, known as the Balakot strikes. IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16 while flying a MiG-21 Bison, during a showdown between the IAF and Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
米格-21 堪称印度空军的功勋战机。该机型自 1963 年列装以来持续服役至今。2019 年 8 月，印度空军米格战机对巴基斯坦境内"穆罕默德军"恐怖分子基地实施空袭（即巴拉科特空袭）曾引发全球关注。在印巴空军对峙期间，空军中校阿比南丹·瓦尔塔曼驾驶米格-21"野牛"型战机击落巴基斯坦 F-16 战机，创下传奇战例。
The iconic MiG-21 protected the Indian skies through major conflicts. Its retirement is an emotional time for several generations of Indian fighter pilots. Indian media is replete with nostalgic reminiscences of great aviators and air veterans.
标志性的米格-21 战机在重大冲突中守护了印度领空。它的退役令几代印度战斗机飞行员感慨万千。印度媒体充斥着对伟大飞行员和空军老兵们的怀旧回忆。
This author himself honed his combat flying skills in this aircraft starting in 1974, and was Team Leader of the MiG 21 Upgrade project in Russia during 1996-2000.
作者本人自 1974 年起便驾驶该机型锤炼战斗飞行技艺，并于 1996 至 2000 年间担任俄罗斯米格-21 升级项目的团队负责人。
Legend in the making
传奇铸就
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 was designed as a supersonic jet interceptor aircraft by the MiG Design Bureau of the Soviet unx. The MiG-21 was an airplane that hewed to the classic “perfect is the enemy of good enough” approach. The Soviets wanted to fill the sky with thousands of simple, lightweight, reliable jets. That strategy had worked splendidly with the Soviet AK-47 rifle.
米高扬-格列维奇设计局研制的米格-21 是一款超音速喷气式拦截机。该机型秉承"完美是够好的敌人"这一经典设计理念，苏联意图通过大量部署结构简单、重量轻便且性能可靠的战机实现空中力量规模化，这一策略与其 AK-47 步枪的成功路径如出一辙。
Over 60 countries across four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves in a few smaller air forces 65 years after its maiden flight. It made aviation records, and became the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history (11,496), the most-produced combat aircraft after the Korean War, and once the longest production run of a combat aircraft, now exceeded by both the McDonnell Douglas F-15 and the Lockheed Martin F-16. Its baby brother, the transonic MiG-15, holds the all-time jet record with around 18,000 units produced. The MiG-21 had a long production run from 1959 to 1985, and the airplane was thereafter upgraded by India and Romania.
这款战机曾服役于四大洲超过 60 个国家，首飞 65 年后仍在部分小型空军部队服役。它创下了多项航空纪录：航空史上产量最高的超音速喷气式飞机（11,496 架）、朝鲜战争后产量最大的作战飞机，并曾保持作战飞机最长量产期纪录（现已被麦道 F-15 和洛克希德 F-16 超越）。其前身亚音速米格-15 仍保持着约 1.8 万架的喷气式飞机总产量纪录。米格-21 自 1959 至 198 年持续量产，后期由印度和罗马尼亚实施了现代化改造。
Development of what would become the MiG-21 began in the early 1950s, when Mikoyan OKB finished a preliminary design study for a swept-wing prototype designated Ye-1 in 1954. After evolution, the first prototype with a delta-wing was the Ye-4. It made its maiden flight on June 16, 1955, and its first public appearance at Moscow’s Tushino airfield in July 1956.
米格-21 的研发始于 1950 年代初，米高扬设计局于 1954 年完成了后掠翼原型机 Ye-1 的初步设计方案。经过演变，首款采用三角翼布局的原型机 Ye-4 于 1955 年 6 月 16 日完成首飞，并于 1956 年 7 月在莫斯科图希诺机场首次公开亮相。
The MiG-21 was the first successful Soviet aircraft combining fighter and interceptor capabilities. It was a lightweight Mach 2 fighter with a relatively low-powered afterburning turbojet when compared to the American F-104 or F-5, or even the French Mirage III. The very characteristic shock cone in the front air intake was unique and peculiar, and left little space for a decent-sized radar. Like many aircraft designed as interceptors, the MiG-21 had a short range.
米格-21 是苏联首款成功结合战斗机与截击机能力的航空器。这款轻型马赫 2 战斗机采用加力涡轮喷气发动机，与美国 F-104、F-5 乃至法国幻影 III 相比，其发动机功率相对较低。其进气口独特的激波锥设计极具辨识度，却也导致难以安装大尺寸雷达。与众多截击机设计类似，米格-21 存在航程较短的缺陷。
The MiG-21’s simple controls, engine, weapons, and avionics were typical of Soviet-era military designs. The use of a tail with the delta wing aids stability and control at the extremes of the flight envelope, enhancing safety for lower-skilled pilots. This, in turn, enhanced its marketability in exports to developing countries with limited training programs and restricted pilot pools.
米格-21 简单的操纵系统、发动机、武器及航电设备，体现了苏联时代军事设计的典型特征。三角翼配合尾翼的设计，在飞行包线极限状态下仍能保持稳定操控，显著降低了飞行员的操控难度。这一特性使其在训练体系薄弱、飞行员储备有限的发展中国家市场极具竞争力。
The maximum permitted speed was 2,237 km/M2.05 at 13,000 m (42,651 ft), and 1,300 km/h/M1.06 at sea level. The service ceiling was 17,500 m (57,400 ft). The aircraft could operate from semi-prepared surfaces. The aircraft armament included one GSh-23 mm gun with 200 rounds. Aircraft had five hard-points with a capacity of up to 2,000 kg of stores, with provisions to carry combinations of bombs rockets and missiles or fuel drop-tanks. In later variants it included the latest air-to-air missiles the R-73, R-77, and R-27. Its low production and maintenance costs made it a favorite of many nations.
该机最大允许速度为 13,000 米（42,651 英尺）高度下 2,237 公里/小时（马赫 2.05），海平面 1,300 公里/小时（马赫 1.06）。实用升限达 17,500 米（57,400 英尺），可在半铺装跑道起降。 武器系统配备一门 23 毫米 GSh 机炮（备弹 200 发）及五个外挂点，最大载弹量 2,000 公斤，可混合挂载炸弹、火箭弹、导弹或副油箱。后期型号更搭载 R-73、R-77 和 R-27 等先进空对空导弹。其低廉的生产维护成本使其成为多国青睐的机型。
A total of 10,645 aircraft were built in the USSR. They were produced in factories at Moscow, Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) and Tbilisi. A total of 194 MiG-21F-13s were built under license in Czechoslovakia and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) built 657 MiG-21 variants. About 2,400 J-7s were manufactured in China, including for export. Due to the mass production, the aircraft was very cheap. The MiG-21MF, for example, was cheaper than the BMP-1 Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. The American F-4 Phantom cost several times as much as the MiG-21.
苏联共制造了 10,645 架该型飞机，这些飞机产自莫斯科、高尔基（今下诺夫哥罗德）和第比利斯的工厂。捷克斯洛伐克按许可证生产了 194 架米格-21F-13，印度斯坦航空有限公司（HAL）则生产了 657 架米格-21 各型号。中国制造了约 2,400 架歼-7，其中包括出口机型。由于大规模生产，该型飞机价格极为低廉——例如米格-21MF 的造价甚至低于苏联 BMP-1 两栖履带式步兵战车，而美国 F-4"鬼怪"战斗机的成本则是米格-21 的数倍之多。
Operational history India
在印度的战史
In 1961, the IAF opted to purchase the MiG-21 over several other Western competitors. As part of the deal, the Soviet unx offered India full transfer of technology and rights for local assembly. Since 1963, the IAF has inducted more than 1,200 different MiG fighters. In 1964, the MiG-21 became the first supersonic fighter jet to enter service with the IAF. Meanwhile, factories were set up at Nasik (aircraft), Hyderabad (Avionics), and Koraput (engines) with Soviet assistance. HAL produced 657 aircraft of three variants: MiG-21FL, MiG-21M, and MiG-21bis.
1961 年，印度空军放弃其他西方竞争对手，选择了米格-21。作为协议的一部分，苏联向印度提供了全套技术转让和本地组装授权。自 1963 年起，印度空军陆续列装了 1200 多架各型米格战斗机。1964 年，米格-21 成为印度空军首款超音速战斗机。在苏联援助下，印度先后在纳西克（飞机）、海得拉巴（航电）和科拉普特（发动机）建立了制造厂。印度斯坦航空公司共生产了 657 架米格-21FL、米格-21M 和米格-21bis 三种型号。
Due to limited induction numbers and insufficient pilot training, the IAF MiG-21 played a limited role in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965. However, the IAF gained valuable experience.
由于列装数量有限且飞行员训练不足，米格-21 在 1965 年印巴战争中发挥有限。但印度空军从中获得了宝贵经验。
The capabilities of the MiG-21 were put to the test during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. MiG-21s played a crucial role in giving the IAF air superiority in both western and eastern theaters. The 1971 war witnessed the first supersonic air combat in the subcontinent when an Indian MiG-21FL claimed a PAF F-104A Starfighter with its GSh-23 twin-barrel 23 mm cannon. By the end of the hostilities, the IAF MiG-21FLs had shot four PAF F-104s and two Shenyang F-6, and one PAF Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
米格-21 战斗机的性能在 1971 年孟加拉国解放战争期间经受实战检验。该机型为印度空军在东西两线战区夺取制空权发挥了关键作用。这场战争见证了南亚次大陆首次超音速空战——印度米格-21FL 战机使用 GSh-23 型 23 毫米双管机炮击落巴基斯坦空军 F-104A"星战士"战机。至战争结束时，印度空军的米格-21FL 共计击落 4 架巴军 F-104、2 架沈阳歼-6 战机以及 1 架洛克希德 C-130"大力神"运输机。
In the eastern sector, the MiG-21 played a crucial role for the IAF, earning the moniker “runway buster” for its ground attack capabilities. Repeat attacks on December 6 and 7, 1971, successfully cratered the runways at Tejgaon and Kurmitola near Dhaka, effectively grounding the PAF in the eastern sector. On December 14, 1971, four MiG-21s from Tezpur airbase led by Wg Cdr Bishnoi (VrC & Bar) attacked the Governor’s House in Dhaka, paving the way for the surrender of Pakistani forces.
在东部战线，米格-21 为印度空军立下汗马功劳，其卓越的对地攻击能力赢得了"跑道毁灭者"的绰号。1971 年 12 月 6 日至 7 日的连续空袭中，该机型成功炸毁达卡附近的 Tejgaon 和 Kurmitola 机场跑道，彻底瘫痪了巴基斯坦空军在东部战区的作战能力。12 月 14 日，由比什诺伊联队长（VrC 及 Bar 勋章获得者）率领的四架从提斯浦尔空军基地起飞的米格-21 编队空袭达卡总督府，为巴基斯坦军队最终投降奠定决定性基础。
Because of the performance of India’s MiG-21s, several nations, including Iraq approached India for MiG-21 pilot training. By the end of the 1970s, more than 120 Iraqi pilots were being trained by the IAF. On August 10, 1999, two MiG-21Bis of the IAF intercepted and shot down a Pakistan’s Naval Air Arms Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft with an air-to-air missile after it entered Indian airspace for surveillance, killing all on board.
由于印度米格-21 战机的出色表现，包括伊拉克在内的多个国家曾向印度寻求米格-21 飞行员培训。截至 20 世纪 70 年代末，印度空军已为超过 120 名伊拉克飞行员提供训练。1999 年 8 月 10 日，两架印度空军的米格-21Bis 战机在巴海军"大西洋"海上巡逻机侵入印度领空执行侦察任务时，使用空对空导弹实施拦截并将其击落，机上人员全部遇难。
However, the plane had been plagued by safety issues. Since 1970, more than 170 Indian pilots and 40 civilians have been killed in MiG-21 accidents. The aircraft engine operates very close to its surge line in some regimes, and the ingestion of even a small bird can lead to an engine surge/seizure and flame out. On December 11, 2013, the MiG-21FL was decommissioned after being in service for 50 years. The final Soviet-produced variant was the MiG-21bis, manufactured between 1972 and 1985.
然而，该机型长期受安全问题困扰。自 1970 年以来，已有超过 170 名印度飞行员和 40 名平民在米格-21 事故中丧生。该战机发动机在某些工况下运行参数接近喘振边界，即使吸入小型鸟类也可能导致发动机喘振/停车并熄火。2013 年 12 月 11 日，米格-21FL 在服役 50 年后正式退役。苏联生产的最终改进型是 1972 至 1985 年间制造的米格-21bis。
MiG 21 Bison
米格-21"野牛"（拜森）改进型
To stretch its operational life and to give it significant multi-role capability, the IAF went for the MiG-21upgrade, in the mid-1990s, jointly with the MiG Design Bureau in Russia. The aircraft was named “Bison”.
为延长服役寿命并赋予其显著的多任务能力，印度空军于 1990 年代中期联合俄罗斯米格设计局启动了米格-21 升级计划，改进后的机型被命名为"野牛"。
It had a MiG-29 bubble canopy and wraparound windscreen; far more capable radar; a helmet-mounted weapons sight; and beyond-visual-range, fire-and-forget advanced missile missiles such as the R-73 and R-77. These and other modifications created a fourfold increase in the airplane’s capability and brought it up to roughly the level of the early F-16 variants. It also got a radar warning receiver, an internal jammer, improved avionics and a new head-up display. It also received TV-guided bombs. In total, 125 jets were inducted in six squadrons.
它配备了米格-29 的泡型座舱罩和环绕式风挡玻璃；性能更强的雷达；头盔瞄准系统；以及 R-73 和 R-77 等"发射后不管"的超视距先进导弹。这些改进使飞机作战能力提升四倍，达到早期 F-16 改进型的水平。此外还加装了雷达告警接收器、内置干扰机、改进型航电系统和平视显示器，并配备了电视制导炸弹。共有 6 个中队列装了 125 架该型战机。
The Indian Upgrade Team operated with the MiG Design Bureau in Moscow. The physical modification was at the “Sokol” Aircraft Plant in Nizhny Novgorod. During 45 years of serial production this plant manufactured about 13,500 combat aircraft, including MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-19, MiG-21, MiG-25, MiG-29, and MiG-31, among others.
印度升级团队与莫斯科的米格设计局合作开展改装工作，机体改造在下诺夫哥罗德的"索科尔"飞机制造厂进行。该厂 45 年批量生产期间共制造约 13,500 架战机，包括米格-15、米格-17、米格-19、米格-21、米格-25、米格-29 和米格-31 等型号。
Indian pilot Harish Nayani and flight test engineer VT Nathan actively participated in the Bison test flight testing in Russia. The Indian team had excellent working relations with the Russians, and some old-timers had worked in India to help set up the MiG plant at Nasik. We also had skiing, camping, and cruise outings together.
印度飞行员哈里什·纳亚尼（Harish Nayani）和试飞工程师 VT·内森（VT Nathan）积极参与了在俄罗斯进行的"野牛"战机试飞测试。印度团队与俄方建立了出色的工作关系，一些资深专家曾赴印度协助建立位于纳西克的米格飞机制造厂。双方还共同组织了滑雪、野营和游艇出游等联谊活动。
The final MiG-21 Bison proved a formidable fighter.
最终定型的米格-21"野牛"战机被证明是一款性能强悍的战斗机。
'Rock-solid airfrx'
“坚如磐石的机身”
The MiG-21 has been called the AK-47 of airplanes. “Rock-solid airfrx,” a former MiG-21 ground technician once told this author. “Really, the thing only needs to be topped off with fluids, and it just goes and goes.”
米格-21 被誉为战机界的 AK-47。一位前米格-21 地勤技师曾告诉笔者："机身坚如磐石，真的，这玩意儿只需要加满油液就能持续飞行。"
When the US Air Force operated MiG-21s as adversary aircraft combat trainers, they found them to be, in the words of one crew chief, “Just like your family car. As long as it’s full of fuel, you pull it out of the garage and start it up.” “With a set of home socket wrenches and screwdrivers, you could get a lot of maintenance done on the little jet,” said another crew chief.
当美国空军将米格-21 作为假想敌战机用于对抗训练时，他们发现——用一位机务长的话说——"就像家里的轿车，只要加满油，从机库拖出来就能启动"。另一位机务长表示："用一套家用套筒扳手和螺丝刀，就能对这架小飞机完成大量维护工作。"
The fact that a MiG-21 can cost just $500,000 as compared to a second-hand F-16C, which can cost a small country $15 million. MiG-21s or their Chinese-produced variants were flown in more than 60 countries. During the Cold War, the United States acquired many MiG-21 variants. American pilots spoke highly of the plane, and it performed more than adequately in aggressor training situations. Indeed, highly trained American pilots probably pushed the MiG-21 farther than most Soviet pilots could have done. There still are around 44 privately owned MiG-21s in the US. Draken International acquired 30 MiG-21bis/UM, mostly ex-Polish, and was last known to be still operating them.
米格-21 战机的价格仅为 50 万美元，而二手 F-16C 却可能让一个小国花费 1500 万美元。全球超过 60 个国家曾使用米格-21 或其中国改型战机。冷战期间，美国曾引进了多种米格-21 改型。美国飞行员对其评价甚高，该机型在假想敌训练中表现卓越。事实上，经过严格训练的美军飞行员可能比大多数苏联飞行员更能发挥米格-21 的极限性能。目前美国境内仍有约 44 架私人拥有的米格-21，其中德拉肯国际公司收购了 30 架米格-21bis/UM 型（多数为波兰退役机型），据悉至今仍在运营这些战机。
Robert Farley wrote in the “National Interest” portal that a few designs stand the test of time. The B-52 Stratofortress first flew in 1952, and is expected to cross a century in service. New C-130s continue to roll off the production line, based on a design that became operational in 1954. But those are bombers and transport aircraft; they don’t fight one another. Fighters face a special problem of longevity, because they must compete directly with newer models. Thus, very few fighters have had long life spans, either in production or in service. The MiG-21 was an exception. The MiG-21 would exceed Mach 2.0, with an internal cannon and the capacity to carry between two and six missiles. Like most fighters, the MiG-21 would eventually serve in a ground attack role, in which it can carry a limited number of bombs and rockets.
罗伯特·法利在《国家利益》门户网站撰文指出，能经受时间考验的战机设计凤毛麟角。B-52 同温层堡垒轰炸机于 1952 年首飞，预计将服役超一个世纪。基于 1954 年投用设计的新款 C-130 运输机仍在持续生产。但这些毕竟是轰炸机和运输机，无需彼此厮杀。战斗机面临特殊的寿命挑战，因为它们必须直接与新型号抗衡。因此无论是生产周期还是服役年限，长寿战斗机都极为罕见——米格-21 恰是例外。该机型能以超过 2 马赫的速度飞行，配备内置机炮及 2 至 6 枚导弹的挂载能力。与多数战斗机类似，米格-21 最终也承担了对地攻击任务，可携带数量有限的炸弹与火箭弹。
Most modern fighters don’t fly much faster than the MiG-21 or maneuver much more capably. While they do carry more ordnance and have more sophisticated electronic equipment, many air forces can treat these as luxuries, as they simply want a cheap, fast, easy-to-maintain aircraft that can patrol airspace and occasionally drop a few bombs. The MiG-21 fitted the bill. The MiG-21 has reached 65 years, and probably will reach 70 years. It remains one of the iconic fighters of the supersonic age.
大多数现代战斗机的飞行速度并不比米格-21 快多少，机动性能也未见得更为出色。虽然它们确实能携带更多武器且配备更精密的电子设备，但对许多空军而言这些堪称奢侈——他们只需要一款廉价、高速且易于维护的战机来执行空域巡逻和偶尔的轰炸任务。米格-21 完美契合这些需求。这款战机已服役 65 年，很可能将延续至 70 年，至今仍是超音速时代的标志性战机之一。
Several pilots attained ace status (five or more aerial victories) while flying the MiG-21. Nguyen Van Coc of the VPAF, who scored nine kills in MiG-21s, is regarded as the most successful MiG-21 pilot of all time. Twelve other VPAF pilots were credited with five or more aerial victories while flying the MiG-21. Additionally, three Syrian pilots are known to have attained ace status while flying the MiG-21.
多名飞行员驾驶米格-21 期间获得了王牌飞行员称号（击落 5 架或以上敌机）。越南人民空军（VPAF）的阮文谷在米格-21 上取得 9 次击坠记录，被视为该机型史上最成功的飞行员。另有 12 名越南人民空军飞行员驾驶米格-21 时创下 5 次以上空战胜利。此外，已知有 3 名叙利亚飞行员驾驶米格-21 期间获得王牌称号。
The record for highest number of sorties in a MiG-21 belongs to Air Commodore Surendra Singh Tyagi (Retd.) of the IAF, with 6,316. He also holds the world record for the most flying hours in the aircraft, with 4,306. His extensive experience with the MiG-21 is recognized by the Russians. As a great era comes to an end, some ancient MiGs may still be flying in the hands of war-bird enthusiasts long after the last B-52 shuts down forever.
印度空军退役准将苏伦德拉·辛格·蒂亚吉保持着米格-21 战机最高出击架次纪录，达 6,316 次。他还以 4,306 飞行小时创下该机型世界最长飞行时间纪录。俄方认可其驾驶米格-21 的丰富经验。当一个伟大时代落幕，即便最后一架 B-52 永久停飞多年后，或许仍有某些老式米格机在战争鸟类爱好者的驾驭下翱翔长空。
Anil Chopra
By Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retired), an Indian Air Force veteran fighter test pilot and is the former Director-General of the Center for Air Power Studies in New Delhi.
作者：印度空军退役空军中将阿尼尔·乔普拉（Anil Chopra），曾是该国空军资深战斗机试飞员，并担任过新德里空军力量研究中心的前任主任。
Indian Air Force bids adieu to its workhorse, the MiG-21
RT：印度空军告别其主力战机米格-21
Inducted in 1964, the legendary fighter jet served in wars, airstrikes, and historic dogfights – cementing its place in India’s military legacy
这款传奇战斗机于 1964 年列装，曾参与多场战争、空袭及历史性空战，在印度军事史上留下了不可磨灭的印记
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is finally set to retire its MiG-21 fleet this weekend after over 60 years of glorious service. India was among the three major operators after the Soviet unx and China (licensed variant Chengdu J-7).
在经历了 60 余年的辉煌服役后，印度空军（IAF）将于本周末正式退役其米格-21 机队。印度曾是继苏联和中国（授权生产的成都歼-7）之后该机型三大主要使用国之一。
The MIG-21 has been the workhorse of the IAF. It was inducted in 1963 and has continued in service ever since. In August 2019, the IAF made headlines when its jets launched airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist facility in Pakistan, known as the Balakot strikes. IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16 while flying a MiG-21 Bison, during a showdown between the IAF and Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
米格-21 堪称印度空军的功勋战机。该机型自 1963 年列装以来持续服役至今。2019 年 8 月，印度空军米格战机对巴基斯坦境内"穆罕默德军"恐怖分子基地实施空袭（即巴拉科特空袭）曾引发全球关注。在印巴空军对峙期间，空军中校阿比南丹·瓦尔塔曼驾驶米格-21"野牛"型战机击落巴基斯坦 F-16 战机，创下传奇战例。
The iconic MiG-21 protected the Indian skies through major conflicts. Its retirement is an emotional time for several generations of Indian fighter pilots. Indian media is replete with nostalgic reminiscences of great aviators and air veterans.
标志性的米格-21 战机在重大冲突中守护了印度领空。它的退役令几代印度战斗机飞行员感慨万千。印度媒体充斥着对伟大飞行员和空军老兵们的怀旧回忆。
This author himself honed his combat flying skills in this aircraft starting in 1974, and was Team Leader of the MiG 21 Upgrade project in Russia during 1996-2000.
作者本人自 1974 年起便驾驶该机型锤炼战斗飞行技艺，并于 1996 至 2000 年间担任俄罗斯米格-21 升级项目的团队负责人。
Legend in the making
传奇铸就
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 was designed as a supersonic jet interceptor aircraft by the MiG Design Bureau of the Soviet unx. The MiG-21 was an airplane that hewed to the classic “perfect is the enemy of good enough” approach. The Soviets wanted to fill the sky with thousands of simple, lightweight, reliable jets. That strategy had worked splendidly with the Soviet AK-47 rifle.
米高扬-格列维奇设计局研制的米格-21 是一款超音速喷气式拦截机。该机型秉承"完美是够好的敌人"这一经典设计理念，苏联意图通过大量部署结构简单、重量轻便且性能可靠的战机实现空中力量规模化，这一策略与其 AK-47 步枪的成功路径如出一辙。
Over 60 countries across four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves in a few smaller air forces 65 years after its maiden flight. It made aviation records, and became the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history (11,496), the most-produced combat aircraft after the Korean War, and once the longest production run of a combat aircraft, now exceeded by both the McDonnell Douglas F-15 and the Lockheed Martin F-16. Its baby brother, the transonic MiG-15, holds the all-time jet record with around 18,000 units produced. The MiG-21 had a long production run from 1959 to 1985, and the airplane was thereafter upgraded by India and Romania.
这款战机曾服役于四大洲超过 60 个国家，首飞 65 年后仍在部分小型空军部队服役。它创下了多项航空纪录：航空史上产量最高的超音速喷气式飞机（11,496 架）、朝鲜战争后产量最大的作战飞机，并曾保持作战飞机最长量产期纪录（现已被麦道 F-15 和洛克希德 F-16 超越）。其前身亚音速米格-15 仍保持着约 1.8 万架的喷气式飞机总产量纪录。米格-21 自 1959 至 198 年持续量产，后期由印度和罗马尼亚实施了现代化改造。
Development of what would become the MiG-21 began in the early 1950s, when Mikoyan OKB finished a preliminary design study for a swept-wing prototype designated Ye-1 in 1954. After evolution, the first prototype with a delta-wing was the Ye-4. It made its maiden flight on June 16, 1955, and its first public appearance at Moscow’s Tushino airfield in July 1956.
米格-21 的研发始于 1950 年代初，米高扬设计局于 1954 年完成了后掠翼原型机 Ye-1 的初步设计方案。经过演变，首款采用三角翼布局的原型机 Ye-4 于 1955 年 6 月 16 日完成首飞，并于 1956 年 7 月在莫斯科图希诺机场首次公开亮相。
The MiG-21 was the first successful Soviet aircraft combining fighter and interceptor capabilities. It was a lightweight Mach 2 fighter with a relatively low-powered afterburning turbojet when compared to the American F-104 or F-5, or even the French Mirage III. The very characteristic shock cone in the front air intake was unique and peculiar, and left little space for a decent-sized radar. Like many aircraft designed as interceptors, the MiG-21 had a short range.
米格-21 是苏联首款成功结合战斗机与截击机能力的航空器。这款轻型马赫 2 战斗机采用加力涡轮喷气发动机，与美国 F-104、F-5 乃至法国幻影 III 相比，其发动机功率相对较低。其进气口独特的激波锥设计极具辨识度，却也导致难以安装大尺寸雷达。与众多截击机设计类似，米格-21 存在航程较短的缺陷。
The MiG-21’s simple controls, engine, weapons, and avionics were typical of Soviet-era military designs. The use of a tail with the delta wing aids stability and control at the extremes of the flight envelope, enhancing safety for lower-skilled pilots. This, in turn, enhanced its marketability in exports to developing countries with limited training programs and restricted pilot pools.
米格-21 简单的操纵系统、发动机、武器及航电设备，体现了苏联时代军事设计的典型特征。三角翼配合尾翼的设计，在飞行包线极限状态下仍能保持稳定操控，显著降低了飞行员的操控难度。这一特性使其在训练体系薄弱、飞行员储备有限的发展中国家市场极具竞争力。
The maximum permitted speed was 2,237 km/M2.05 at 13,000 m (42,651 ft), and 1,300 km/h/M1.06 at sea level. The service ceiling was 17,500 m (57,400 ft). The aircraft could operate from semi-prepared surfaces. The aircraft armament included one GSh-23 mm gun with 200 rounds. Aircraft had five hard-points with a capacity of up to 2,000 kg of stores, with provisions to carry combinations of bombs rockets and missiles or fuel drop-tanks. In later variants it included the latest air-to-air missiles the R-73, R-77, and R-27. Its low production and maintenance costs made it a favorite of many nations.
该机最大允许速度为 13,000 米（42,651 英尺）高度下 2,237 公里/小时（马赫 2.05），海平面 1,300 公里/小时（马赫 1.06）。实用升限达 17,500 米（57,400 英尺），可在半铺装跑道起降。 武器系统配备一门 23 毫米 GSh 机炮（备弹 200 发）及五个外挂点，最大载弹量 2,000 公斤，可混合挂载炸弹、火箭弹、导弹或副油箱。后期型号更搭载 R-73、R-77 和 R-27 等先进空对空导弹。其低廉的生产维护成本使其成为多国青睐的机型。
A total of 10,645 aircraft were built in the USSR. They were produced in factories at Moscow, Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) and Tbilisi. A total of 194 MiG-21F-13s were built under license in Czechoslovakia and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) built 657 MiG-21 variants. About 2,400 J-7s were manufactured in China, including for export. Due to the mass production, the aircraft was very cheap. The MiG-21MF, for example, was cheaper than the BMP-1 Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. The American F-4 Phantom cost several times as much as the MiG-21.
苏联共制造了 10,645 架该型飞机，这些飞机产自莫斯科、高尔基（今下诺夫哥罗德）和第比利斯的工厂。捷克斯洛伐克按许可证生产了 194 架米格-21F-13，印度斯坦航空有限公司（HAL）则生产了 657 架米格-21 各型号。中国制造了约 2,400 架歼-7，其中包括出口机型。由于大规模生产，该型飞机价格极为低廉——例如米格-21MF 的造价甚至低于苏联 BMP-1 两栖履带式步兵战车，而美国 F-4"鬼怪"战斗机的成本则是米格-21 的数倍之多。
Operational history India
在印度的战史
In 1961, the IAF opted to purchase the MiG-21 over several other Western competitors. As part of the deal, the Soviet unx offered India full transfer of technology and rights for local assembly. Since 1963, the IAF has inducted more than 1,200 different MiG fighters. In 1964, the MiG-21 became the first supersonic fighter jet to enter service with the IAF. Meanwhile, factories were set up at Nasik (aircraft), Hyderabad (Avionics), and Koraput (engines) with Soviet assistance. HAL produced 657 aircraft of three variants: MiG-21FL, MiG-21M, and MiG-21bis.
1961 年，印度空军放弃其他西方竞争对手，选择了米格-21。作为协议的一部分，苏联向印度提供了全套技术转让和本地组装授权。自 1963 年起，印度空军陆续列装了 1200 多架各型米格战斗机。1964 年，米格-21 成为印度空军首款超音速战斗机。在苏联援助下，印度先后在纳西克（飞机）、海得拉巴（航电）和科拉普特（发动机）建立了制造厂。印度斯坦航空公司共生产了 657 架米格-21FL、米格-21M 和米格-21bis 三种型号。
Due to limited induction numbers and insufficient pilot training, the IAF MiG-21 played a limited role in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965. However, the IAF gained valuable experience.
由于列装数量有限且飞行员训练不足，米格-21 在 1965 年印巴战争中发挥有限。但印度空军从中获得了宝贵经验。
The capabilities of the MiG-21 were put to the test during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. MiG-21s played a crucial role in giving the IAF air superiority in both western and eastern theaters. The 1971 war witnessed the first supersonic air combat in the subcontinent when an Indian MiG-21FL claimed a PAF F-104A Starfighter with its GSh-23 twin-barrel 23 mm cannon. By the end of the hostilities, the IAF MiG-21FLs had shot four PAF F-104s and two Shenyang F-6, and one PAF Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
米格-21 战斗机的性能在 1971 年孟加拉国解放战争期间经受实战检验。该机型为印度空军在东西两线战区夺取制空权发挥了关键作用。这场战争见证了南亚次大陆首次超音速空战——印度米格-21FL 战机使用 GSh-23 型 23 毫米双管机炮击落巴基斯坦空军 F-104A"星战士"战机。至战争结束时，印度空军的米格-21FL 共计击落 4 架巴军 F-104、2 架沈阳歼-6 战机以及 1 架洛克希德 C-130"大力神"运输机。
In the eastern sector, the MiG-21 played a crucial role for the IAF, earning the moniker “runway buster” for its ground attack capabilities. Repeat attacks on December 6 and 7, 1971, successfully cratered the runways at Tejgaon and Kurmitola near Dhaka, effectively grounding the PAF in the eastern sector. On December 14, 1971, four MiG-21s from Tezpur airbase led by Wg Cdr Bishnoi (VrC & Bar) attacked the Governor’s House in Dhaka, paving the way for the surrender of Pakistani forces.
在东部战线，米格-21 为印度空军立下汗马功劳，其卓越的对地攻击能力赢得了"跑道毁灭者"的绰号。1971 年 12 月 6 日至 7 日的连续空袭中，该机型成功炸毁达卡附近的 Tejgaon 和 Kurmitola 机场跑道，彻底瘫痪了巴基斯坦空军在东部战区的作战能力。12 月 14 日，由比什诺伊联队长（VrC 及 Bar 勋章获得者）率领的四架从提斯浦尔空军基地起飞的米格-21 编队空袭达卡总督府，为巴基斯坦军队最终投降奠定决定性基础。
Because of the performance of India’s MiG-21s, several nations, including Iraq approached India for MiG-21 pilot training. By the end of the 1970s, more than 120 Iraqi pilots were being trained by the IAF. On August 10, 1999, two MiG-21Bis of the IAF intercepted and shot down a Pakistan’s Naval Air Arms Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft with an air-to-air missile after it entered Indian airspace for surveillance, killing all on board.
由于印度米格-21 战机的出色表现，包括伊拉克在内的多个国家曾向印度寻求米格-21 飞行员培训。截至 20 世纪 70 年代末，印度空军已为超过 120 名伊拉克飞行员提供训练。1999 年 8 月 10 日，两架印度空军的米格-21Bis 战机在巴海军"大西洋"海上巡逻机侵入印度领空执行侦察任务时，使用空对空导弹实施拦截并将其击落，机上人员全部遇难。
However, the plane had been plagued by safety issues. Since 1970, more than 170 Indian pilots and 40 civilians have been killed in MiG-21 accidents. The aircraft engine operates very close to its surge line in some regimes, and the ingestion of even a small bird can lead to an engine surge/seizure and flame out. On December 11, 2013, the MiG-21FL was decommissioned after being in service for 50 years. The final Soviet-produced variant was the MiG-21bis, manufactured between 1972 and 1985.
然而，该机型长期受安全问题困扰。自 1970 年以来，已有超过 170 名印度飞行员和 40 名平民在米格-21 事故中丧生。该战机发动机在某些工况下运行参数接近喘振边界，即使吸入小型鸟类也可能导致发动机喘振/停车并熄火。2013 年 12 月 11 日，米格-21FL 在服役 50 年后正式退役。苏联生产的最终改进型是 1972 至 1985 年间制造的米格-21bis。
MiG 21 Bison
米格-21"野牛"（拜森）改进型
To stretch its operational life and to give it significant multi-role capability, the IAF went for the MiG-21upgrade, in the mid-1990s, jointly with the MiG Design Bureau in Russia. The aircraft was named “Bison”.
为延长服役寿命并赋予其显著的多任务能力，印度空军于 1990 年代中期联合俄罗斯米格设计局启动了米格-21 升级计划，改进后的机型被命名为"野牛"。
It had a MiG-29 bubble canopy and wraparound windscreen; far more capable radar; a helmet-mounted weapons sight; and beyond-visual-range, fire-and-forget advanced missile missiles such as the R-73 and R-77. These and other modifications created a fourfold increase in the airplane’s capability and brought it up to roughly the level of the early F-16 variants. It also got a radar warning receiver, an internal jammer, improved avionics and a new head-up display. It also received TV-guided bombs. In total, 125 jets were inducted in six squadrons.
它配备了米格-29 的泡型座舱罩和环绕式风挡玻璃；性能更强的雷达；头盔瞄准系统；以及 R-73 和 R-77 等"发射后不管"的超视距先进导弹。这些改进使飞机作战能力提升四倍，达到早期 F-16 改进型的水平。此外还加装了雷达告警接收器、内置干扰机、改进型航电系统和平视显示器，并配备了电视制导炸弹。共有 6 个中队列装了 125 架该型战机。
The Indian Upgrade Team operated with the MiG Design Bureau in Moscow. The physical modification was at the “Sokol” Aircraft Plant in Nizhny Novgorod. During 45 years of serial production this plant manufactured about 13,500 combat aircraft, including MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-19, MiG-21, MiG-25, MiG-29, and MiG-31, among others.
印度升级团队与莫斯科的米格设计局合作开展改装工作，机体改造在下诺夫哥罗德的"索科尔"飞机制造厂进行。该厂 45 年批量生产期间共制造约 13,500 架战机，包括米格-15、米格-17、米格-19、米格-21、米格-25、米格-29 和米格-31 等型号。
Indian pilot Harish Nayani and flight test engineer VT Nathan actively participated in the Bison test flight testing in Russia. The Indian team had excellent working relations with the Russians, and some old-timers had worked in India to help set up the MiG plant at Nasik. We also had skiing, camping, and cruise outings together.
印度飞行员哈里什·纳亚尼（Harish Nayani）和试飞工程师 VT·内森（VT Nathan）积极参与了在俄罗斯进行的"野牛"战机试飞测试。印度团队与俄方建立了出色的工作关系，一些资深专家曾赴印度协助建立位于纳西克的米格飞机制造厂。双方还共同组织了滑雪、野营和游艇出游等联谊活动。
The final MiG-21 Bison proved a formidable fighter.
最终定型的米格-21"野牛"战机被证明是一款性能强悍的战斗机。
'Rock-solid airfrx'
“坚如磐石的机身”
The MiG-21 has been called the AK-47 of airplanes. “Rock-solid airfrx,” a former MiG-21 ground technician once told this author. “Really, the thing only needs to be topped off with fluids, and it just goes and goes.”
米格-21 被誉为战机界的 AK-47。一位前米格-21 地勤技师曾告诉笔者："机身坚如磐石，真的，这玩意儿只需要加满油液就能持续飞行。"
When the US Air Force operated MiG-21s as adversary aircraft combat trainers, they found them to be, in the words of one crew chief, “Just like your family car. As long as it’s full of fuel, you pull it out of the garage and start it up.” “With a set of home socket wrenches and screwdrivers, you could get a lot of maintenance done on the little jet,” said another crew chief.
当美国空军将米格-21 作为假想敌战机用于对抗训练时，他们发现——用一位机务长的话说——"就像家里的轿车，只要加满油，从机库拖出来就能启动"。另一位机务长表示："用一套家用套筒扳手和螺丝刀，就能对这架小飞机完成大量维护工作。"
The fact that a MiG-21 can cost just $500,000 as compared to a second-hand F-16C, which can cost a small country $15 million. MiG-21s or their Chinese-produced variants were flown in more than 60 countries. During the Cold War, the United States acquired many MiG-21 variants. American pilots spoke highly of the plane, and it performed more than adequately in aggressor training situations. Indeed, highly trained American pilots probably pushed the MiG-21 farther than most Soviet pilots could have done. There still are around 44 privately owned MiG-21s in the US. Draken International acquired 30 MiG-21bis/UM, mostly ex-Polish, and was last known to be still operating them.
米格-21 战机的价格仅为 50 万美元，而二手 F-16C 却可能让一个小国花费 1500 万美元。全球超过 60 个国家曾使用米格-21 或其中国改型战机。冷战期间，美国曾引进了多种米格-21 改型。美国飞行员对其评价甚高，该机型在假想敌训练中表现卓越。事实上，经过严格训练的美军飞行员可能比大多数苏联飞行员更能发挥米格-21 的极限性能。目前美国境内仍有约 44 架私人拥有的米格-21，其中德拉肯国际公司收购了 30 架米格-21bis/UM 型（多数为波兰退役机型），据悉至今仍在运营这些战机。
Robert Farley wrote in the “National Interest” portal that a few designs stand the test of time. The B-52 Stratofortress first flew in 1952, and is expected to cross a century in service. New C-130s continue to roll off the production line, based on a design that became operational in 1954. But those are bombers and transport aircraft; they don’t fight one another. Fighters face a special problem of longevity, because they must compete directly with newer models. Thus, very few fighters have had long life spans, either in production or in service. The MiG-21 was an exception. The MiG-21 would exceed Mach 2.0, with an internal cannon and the capacity to carry between two and six missiles. Like most fighters, the MiG-21 would eventually serve in a ground attack role, in which it can carry a limited number of bombs and rockets.
罗伯特·法利在《国家利益》门户网站撰文指出，能经受时间考验的战机设计凤毛麟角。B-52 同温层堡垒轰炸机于 1952 年首飞，预计将服役超一个世纪。基于 1954 年投用设计的新款 C-130 运输机仍在持续生产。但这些毕竟是轰炸机和运输机，无需彼此厮杀。战斗机面临特殊的寿命挑战，因为它们必须直接与新型号抗衡。因此无论是生产周期还是服役年限，长寿战斗机都极为罕见——米格-21 恰是例外。该机型能以超过 2 马赫的速度飞行，配备内置机炮及 2 至 6 枚导弹的挂载能力。与多数战斗机类似，米格-21 最终也承担了对地攻击任务，可携带数量有限的炸弹与火箭弹。
Most modern fighters don’t fly much faster than the MiG-21 or maneuver much more capably. While they do carry more ordnance and have more sophisticated electronic equipment, many air forces can treat these as luxuries, as they simply want a cheap, fast, easy-to-maintain aircraft that can patrol airspace and occasionally drop a few bombs. The MiG-21 fitted the bill. The MiG-21 has reached 65 years, and probably will reach 70 years. It remains one of the iconic fighters of the supersonic age.
大多数现代战斗机的飞行速度并不比米格-21 快多少，机动性能也未见得更为出色。虽然它们确实能携带更多武器且配备更精密的电子设备，但对许多空军而言这些堪称奢侈——他们只需要一款廉价、高速且易于维护的战机来执行空域巡逻和偶尔的轰炸任务。米格-21 完美契合这些需求。这款战机已服役 65 年，很可能将延续至 70 年，至今仍是超音速时代的标志性战机之一。
Several pilots attained ace status (five or more aerial victories) while flying the MiG-21. Nguyen Van Coc of the VPAF, who scored nine kills in MiG-21s, is regarded as the most successful MiG-21 pilot of all time. Twelve other VPAF pilots were credited with five or more aerial victories while flying the MiG-21. Additionally, three Syrian pilots are known to have attained ace status while flying the MiG-21.
多名飞行员驾驶米格-21 期间获得了王牌飞行员称号（击落 5 架或以上敌机）。越南人民空军（VPAF）的阮文谷在米格-21 上取得 9 次击坠记录，被视为该机型史上最成功的飞行员。另有 12 名越南人民空军飞行员驾驶米格-21 时创下 5 次以上空战胜利。此外，已知有 3 名叙利亚飞行员驾驶米格-21 期间获得王牌称号。
The record for highest number of sorties in a MiG-21 belongs to Air Commodore Surendra Singh Tyagi (Retd.) of the IAF, with 6,316. He also holds the world record for the most flying hours in the aircraft, with 4,306. His extensive experience with the MiG-21 is recognized by the Russians. As a great era comes to an end, some ancient MiGs may still be flying in the hands of war-bird enthusiasts long after the last B-52 shuts down forever.
印度空军退役准将苏伦德拉·辛格·蒂亚吉保持着米格-21 战机最高出击架次纪录，达 6,316 次。他还以 4,306 飞行小时创下该机型世界最长飞行时间纪录。俄方认可其驾驶米格-21 的丰富经验。当一个伟大时代落幕，即便最后一架 B-52 永久停飞多年后，或许仍有某些老式米格机在战争鸟类爱好者的驾驭下翱翔长空。
Anil Chopra
By Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retired), an Indian Air Force veteran fighter test pilot and is the former Director-General of the Center for Air Power Studies in New Delhi.
作者：印度空军退役空军中将阿尼尔·乔普拉（Anil Chopra），曾是该国空军资深战斗机试飞员，并担任过新德里空军力量研究中心的前任主任。
评论翻译
Indian Air Force bids adieu to its workhorse, the MiG-21
RT：印度空军告别其主力战机米格-21
Inducted in 1964, the legendary fighter jet served in wars, airstrikes, and historic dogfights – cementing its place in India’s military legacy
这款传奇战斗机于 1964 年列装，曾参与多场战争、空袭及历史性空战，在印度军事史上留下了不可磨灭的印记
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is finally set to retire its MiG-21 fleet this weekend after over 60 years of glorious service. India was among the three major operators after the Soviet unx and China (licensed variant Chengdu J-7).
在经历了 60 余年的辉煌服役后，印度空军（IAF）将于本周末正式退役其米格-21 机队。印度曾是继苏联和中国（授权生产的成都歼-7）之后该机型三大主要使用国之一。
The MIG-21 has been the workhorse of the IAF. It was inducted in 1963 and has continued in service ever since. In August 2019, the IAF made headlines when its jets launched airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist facility in Pakistan, known as the Balakot strikes. IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16 while flying a MiG-21 Bison, during a showdown between the IAF and Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
米格-21 堪称印度空军的功勋战机。该机型自 1963 年列装以来持续服役至今。2019 年 8 月，印度空军米格战机对巴基斯坦境内"穆罕默德军"恐怖分子基地实施空袭（即巴拉科特空袭）曾引发全球关注。在印巴空军对峙期间，空军中校阿比南丹·瓦尔塔曼驾驶米格-21"野牛"型战机击落巴基斯坦 F-16 战机，创下传奇战例。
The iconic MiG-21 protected the Indian skies through major conflicts. Its retirement is an emotional time for several generations of Indian fighter pilots. Indian media is replete with nostalgic reminiscences of great aviators and air veterans.
标志性的米格-21 战机在重大冲突中守护了印度领空。它的退役令几代印度战斗机飞行员感慨万千。印度媒体充斥着对伟大飞行员和空军老兵们的怀旧回忆。
This author himself honed his combat flying skills in this aircraft starting in 1974, and was Team Leader of the MiG 21 Upgrade project in Russia during 1996-2000.
作者本人自 1974 年起便驾驶该机型锤炼战斗飞行技艺，并于 1996 至 2000 年间担任俄罗斯米格-21 升级项目的团队负责人。
Legend in the making
传奇铸就
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 was designed as a supersonic jet interceptor aircraft by the MiG Design Bureau of the Soviet unx. The MiG-21 was an airplane that hewed to the classic “perfect is the enemy of good enough” approach. The Soviets wanted to fill the sky with thousands of simple, lightweight, reliable jets. That strategy had worked splendidly with the Soviet AK-47 rifle.
米高扬-格列维奇设计局研制的米格-21 是一款超音速喷气式拦截机。该机型秉承"完美是够好的敌人"这一经典设计理念，苏联意图通过大量部署结构简单、重量轻便且性能可靠的战机实现空中力量规模化，这一策略与其 AK-47 步枪的成功路径如出一辙。
Over 60 countries across four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves in a few smaller air forces 65 years after its maiden flight. It made aviation records, and became the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history (11,496), the most-produced combat aircraft after the Korean War, and once the longest production run of a combat aircraft, now exceeded by both the McDonnell Douglas F-15 and the Lockheed Martin F-16. Its baby brother, the transonic MiG-15, holds the all-time jet record with around 18,000 units produced. The MiG-21 had a long production run from 1959 to 1985, and the airplane was thereafter upgraded by India and Romania.
这款战机曾服役于四大洲超过 60 个国家，首飞 65 年后仍在部分小型空军部队服役。它创下了多项航空纪录：航空史上产量最高的超音速喷气式飞机（11,496 架）、朝鲜战争后产量最大的作战飞机，并曾保持作战飞机最长量产期纪录（现已被麦道 F-15 和洛克希德 F-16 超越）。其前身亚音速米格-15 仍保持着约 1.8 万架的喷气式飞机总产量纪录。米格-21 自 1959 至 198 年持续量产，后期由印度和罗马尼亚实施了现代化改造。
Development of what would become the MiG-21 began in the early 1950s, when Mikoyan OKB finished a preliminary design study for a swept-wing prototype designated Ye-1 in 1954. After evolution, the first prototype with a delta-wing was the Ye-4. It made its maiden flight on June 16, 1955, and its first public appearance at Moscow’s Tushino airfield in July 1956.
米格-21 的研发始于 1950 年代初，米高扬设计局于 1954 年完成了后掠翼原型机 Ye-1 的初步设计方案。经过演变，首款采用三角翼布局的原型机 Ye-4 于 1955 年 6 月 16 日完成首飞，并于 1956 年 7 月在莫斯科图希诺机场首次公开亮相。
The MiG-21 was the first successful Soviet aircraft combining fighter and interceptor capabilities. It was a lightweight Mach 2 fighter with a relatively low-powered afterburning turbojet when compared to the American F-104 or F-5, or even the French Mirage III. The very characteristic shock cone in the front air intake was unique and peculiar, and left little space for a decent-sized radar. Like many aircraft designed as interceptors, the MiG-21 had a short range.
米格-21 是苏联首款成功结合战斗机与截击机能力的航空器。这款轻型马赫 2 战斗机采用加力涡轮喷气发动机，与美国 F-104、F-5 乃至法国幻影 III 相比，其发动机功率相对较低。其进气口独特的激波锥设计极具辨识度，却也导致难以安装大尺寸雷达。与众多截击机设计类似，米格-21 存在航程较短的缺陷。
The MiG-21’s simple controls, engine, weapons, and avionics were typical of Soviet-era military designs. The use of a tail with the delta wing aids stability and control at the extremes of the flight envelope, enhancing safety for lower-skilled pilots. This, in turn, enhanced its marketability in exports to developing countries with limited training programs and restricted pilot pools.
米格-21 简单的操纵系统、发动机、武器及航电设备，体现了苏联时代军事设计的典型特征。三角翼配合尾翼的设计，在飞行包线极限状态下仍能保持稳定操控，显著降低了飞行员的操控难度。这一特性使其在训练体系薄弱、飞行员储备有限的发展中国家市场极具竞争力。
The maximum permitted speed was 2,237 km/M2.05 at 13,000 m (42,651 ft), and 1,300 km/h/M1.06 at sea level. The service ceiling was 17,500 m (57,400 ft). The aircraft could operate from semi-prepared surfaces. The aircraft armament included one GSh-23 mm gun with 200 rounds. Aircraft had five hard-points with a capacity of up to 2,000 kg of stores, with provisions to carry combinations of bombs rockets and missiles or fuel drop-tanks. In later variants it included the latest air-to-air missiles the R-73, R-77, and R-27. Its low production and maintenance costs made it a favorite of many nations.
该机最大允许速度为 13,000 米（42,651 英尺）高度下 2,237 公里/小时（马赫 2.05），海平面 1,300 公里/小时（马赫 1.06）。实用升限达 17,500 米（57,400 英尺），可在半铺装跑道起降。 武器系统配备一门 23 毫米 GSh 机炮（备弹 200 发）及五个外挂点，最大载弹量 2,000 公斤，可混合挂载炸弹、火箭弹、导弹或副油箱。后期型号更搭载 R-73、R-77 和 R-27 等先进空对空导弹。其低廉的生产维护成本使其成为多国青睐的机型。
A total of 10,645 aircraft were built in the USSR. They were produced in factories at Moscow, Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) and Tbilisi. A total of 194 MiG-21F-13s were built under license in Czechoslovakia and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) built 657 MiG-21 variants. About 2,400 J-7s were manufactured in China, including for export. Due to the mass production, the aircraft was very cheap. The MiG-21MF, for example, was cheaper than the BMP-1 Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. The American F-4 Phantom cost several times as much as the MiG-21.
苏联共制造了 10,645 架该型飞机，这些飞机产自莫斯科、高尔基（今下诺夫哥罗德）和第比利斯的工厂。捷克斯洛伐克按许可证生产了 194 架米格-21F-13，印度斯坦航空有限公司（HAL）则生产了 657 架米格-21 各型号。中国制造了约 2,400 架歼-7，其中包括出口机型。由于大规模生产，该型飞机价格极为低廉——例如米格-21MF 的造价甚至低于苏联 BMP-1 两栖履带式步兵战车，而美国 F-4"鬼怪"战斗机的成本则是米格-21 的数倍之多。
Operational history India
在印度的战史
In 1961, the IAF opted to purchase the MiG-21 over several other Western competitors. As part of the deal, the Soviet unx offered India full transfer of technology and rights for local assembly. Since 1963, the IAF has inducted more than 1,200 different MiG fighters. In 1964, the MiG-21 became the first supersonic fighter jet to enter service with the IAF. Meanwhile, factories were set up at Nasik (aircraft), Hyderabad (Avionics), and Koraput (engines) with Soviet assistance. HAL produced 657 aircraft of three variants: MiG-21FL, MiG-21M, and MiG-21bis.
1961 年，印度空军放弃其他西方竞争对手，选择了米格-21。作为协议的一部分，苏联向印度提供了全套技术转让和本地组装授权。自 1963 年起，印度空军陆续列装了 1200 多架各型米格战斗机。1964 年，米格-21 成为印度空军首款超音速战斗机。在苏联援助下，印度先后在纳西克（飞机）、海得拉巴（航电）和科拉普特（发动机）建立了制造厂。印度斯坦航空公司共生产了 657 架米格-21FL、米格-21M 和米格-21bis 三种型号。
Due to limited induction numbers and insufficient pilot training, the IAF MiG-21 played a limited role in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965. However, the IAF gained valuable experience.
由于列装数量有限且飞行员训练不足，米格-21 在 1965 年印巴战争中发挥有限。但印度空军从中获得了宝贵经验。
The capabilities of the MiG-21 were put to the test during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. MiG-21s played a crucial role in giving the IAF air superiority in both western and eastern theaters. The 1971 war witnessed the first supersonic air combat in the subcontinent when an Indian MiG-21FL claimed a PAF F-104A Starfighter with its GSh-23 twin-barrel 23 mm cannon. By the end of the hostilities, the IAF MiG-21FLs had shot four PAF F-104s and two Shenyang F-6, and one PAF Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
米格-21 战斗机的性能在 1971 年孟加拉国解放战争期间经受实战检验。该机型为印度空军在东西两线战区夺取制空权发挥了关键作用。这场战争见证了南亚次大陆首次超音速空战——印度米格-21FL 战机使用 GSh-23 型 23 毫米双管机炮击落巴基斯坦空军 F-104A"星战士"战机。至战争结束时，印度空军的米格-21FL 共计击落 4 架巴军 F-104、2 架沈阳歼-6 战机以及 1 架洛克希德 C-130"大力神"运输机。
In the eastern sector, the MiG-21 played a crucial role for the IAF, earning the moniker “runway buster” for its ground attack capabilities. Repeat attacks on December 6 and 7, 1971, successfully cratered the runways at Tejgaon and Kurmitola near Dhaka, effectively grounding the PAF in the eastern sector. On December 14, 1971, four MiG-21s from Tezpur airbase led by Wg Cdr Bishnoi (VrC & Bar) attacked the Governor’s House in Dhaka, paving the way for the surrender of Pakistani forces.
在东部战线，米格-21 为印度空军立下汗马功劳，其卓越的对地攻击能力赢得了"跑道毁灭者"的绰号。1971 年 12 月 6 日至 7 日的连续空袭中，该机型成功炸毁达卡附近的 Tejgaon 和 Kurmitola 机场跑道，彻底瘫痪了巴基斯坦空军在东部战区的作战能力。12 月 14 日，由比什诺伊联队长（VrC 及 Bar 勋章获得者）率领的四架从提斯浦尔空军基地起飞的米格-21 编队空袭达卡总督府，为巴基斯坦军队最终投降奠定决定性基础。
Because of the performance of India’s MiG-21s, several nations, including Iraq approached India for MiG-21 pilot training. By the end of the 1970s, more than 120 Iraqi pilots were being trained by the IAF. On August 10, 1999, two MiG-21Bis of the IAF intercepted and shot down a Pakistan’s Naval Air Arms Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft with an air-to-air missile after it entered Indian airspace for surveillance, killing all on board.
由于印度米格-21 战机的出色表现，包括伊拉克在内的多个国家曾向印度寻求米格-21 飞行员培训。截至 20 世纪 70 年代末，印度空军已为超过 120 名伊拉克飞行员提供训练。1999 年 8 月 10 日，两架印度空军的米格-21Bis 战机在巴海军"大西洋"海上巡逻机侵入印度领空执行侦察任务时，使用空对空导弹实施拦截并将其击落，机上人员全部遇难。
However, the plane had been plagued by safety issues. Since 1970, more than 170 Indian pilots and 40 civilians have been killed in MiG-21 accidents. The aircraft engine operates very close to its surge line in some regimes, and the ingestion of even a small bird can lead to an engine surge/seizure and flame out. On December 11, 2013, the MiG-21FL was decommissioned after being in service for 50 years. The final Soviet-produced variant was the MiG-21bis, manufactured between 1972 and 1985.
然而，该机型长期受安全问题困扰。自 1970 年以来，已有超过 170 名印度飞行员和 40 名平民在米格-21 事故中丧生。该战机发动机在某些工况下运行参数接近喘振边界，即使吸入小型鸟类也可能导致发动机喘振/停车并熄火。2013 年 12 月 11 日，米格-21FL 在服役 50 年后正式退役。苏联生产的最终改进型是 1972 至 1985 年间制造的米格-21bis。
MiG 21 Bison
米格-21"野牛"（拜森）改进型
To stretch its operational life and to give it significant multi-role capability, the IAF went for the MiG-21upgrade, in the mid-1990s, jointly with the MiG Design Bureau in Russia. The aircraft was named “Bison”.
为延长服役寿命并赋予其显著的多任务能力，印度空军于 1990 年代中期联合俄罗斯米格设计局启动了米格-21 升级计划，改进后的机型被命名为"野牛"。
It had a MiG-29 bubble canopy and wraparound windscreen; far more capable radar; a helmet-mounted weapons sight; and beyond-visual-range, fire-and-forget advanced missile missiles such as the R-73 and R-77. These and other modifications created a fourfold increase in the airplane’s capability and brought it up to roughly the level of the early F-16 variants. It also got a radar warning receiver, an internal jammer, improved avionics and a new head-up display. It also received TV-guided bombs. In total, 125 jets were inducted in six squadrons.
它配备了米格-29 的泡型座舱罩和环绕式风挡玻璃；性能更强的雷达；头盔瞄准系统；以及 R-73 和 R-77 等"发射后不管"的超视距先进导弹。这些改进使飞机作战能力提升四倍，达到早期 F-16 改进型的水平。此外还加装了雷达告警接收器、内置干扰机、改进型航电系统和平视显示器，并配备了电视制导炸弹。共有 6 个中队列装了 125 架该型战机。
The Indian Upgrade Team operated with the MiG Design Bureau in Moscow. The physical modification was at the “Sokol” Aircraft Plant in Nizhny Novgorod. During 45 years of serial production this plant manufactured about 13,500 combat aircraft, including MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-19, MiG-21, MiG-25, MiG-29, and MiG-31, among others.
印度升级团队与莫斯科的米格设计局合作开展改装工作，机体改造在下诺夫哥罗德的"索科尔"飞机制造厂进行。该厂 45 年批量生产期间共制造约 13,500 架战机，包括米格-15、米格-17、米格-19、米格-21、米格-25、米格-29 和米格-31 等型号。
Indian pilot Harish Nayani and flight test engineer VT Nathan actively participated in the Bison test flight testing in Russia. The Indian team had excellent working relations with the Russians, and some old-timers had worked in India to help set up the MiG plant at Nasik. We also had skiing, camping, and cruise outings together.
印度飞行员哈里什·纳亚尼（Harish Nayani）和试飞工程师 VT·内森（VT Nathan）积极参与了在俄罗斯进行的"野牛"战机试飞测试。印度团队与俄方建立了出色的工作关系，一些资深专家曾赴印度协助建立位于纳西克的米格飞机制造厂。双方还共同组织了滑雪、野营和游艇出游等联谊活动。
The final MiG-21 Bison proved a formidable fighter.
最终定型的米格-21"野牛"战机被证明是一款性能强悍的战斗机。
'Rock-solid airfrx'
“坚如磐石的机身”
The MiG-21 has been called the AK-47 of airplanes. “Rock-solid airfrx,” a former MiG-21 ground technician once told this author. “Really, the thing only needs to be topped off with fluids, and it just goes and goes.”
米格-21 被誉为战机界的 AK-47。一位前米格-21 地勤技师曾告诉笔者："机身坚如磐石，真的，这玩意儿只需要加满油液就能持续飞行。"
When the US Air Force operated MiG-21s as adversary aircraft combat trainers, they found them to be, in the words of one crew chief, “Just like your family car. As long as it’s full of fuel, you pull it out of the garage and start it up.” “With a set of home socket wrenches and screwdrivers, you could get a lot of maintenance done on the little jet,” said another crew chief.
当美国空军将米格-21 作为假想敌战机用于对抗训练时，他们发现——用一位机务长的话说——"就像家里的轿车，只要加满油，从机库拖出来就能启动"。另一位机务长表示："用一套家用套筒扳手和螺丝刀，就能对这架小飞机完成大量维护工作。"
The fact that a MiG-21 can cost just $500,000 as compared to a second-hand F-16C, which can cost a small country $15 million. MiG-21s or their Chinese-produced variants were flown in more than 60 countries. During the Cold War, the United States acquired many MiG-21 variants. American pilots spoke highly of the plane, and it performed more than adequately in aggressor training situations. Indeed, highly trained American pilots probably pushed the MiG-21 farther than most Soviet pilots could have done. There still are around 44 privately owned MiG-21s in the US. Draken International acquired 30 MiG-21bis/UM, mostly ex-Polish, and was last known to be still operating them.
米格-21 战机的价格仅为 50 万美元，而二手 F-16C 却可能让一个小国花费 1500 万美元。全球超过 60 个国家曾使用米格-21 或其中国改型战机。冷战期间，美国曾引进了多种米格-21 改型。美国飞行员对其评价甚高，该机型在假想敌训练中表现卓越。事实上，经过严格训练的美军飞行员可能比大多数苏联飞行员更能发挥米格-21 的极限性能。目前美国境内仍有约 44 架私人拥有的米格-21，其中德拉肯国际公司收购了 30 架米格-21bis/UM 型（多数为波兰退役机型），据悉至今仍在运营这些战机。
Robert Farley wrote in the “National Interest” portal that a few designs stand the test of time. The B-52 Stratofortress first flew in 1952, and is expected to cross a century in service. New C-130s continue to roll off the production line, based on a design that became operational in 1954. But those are bombers and transport aircraft; they don’t fight one another. Fighters face a special problem of longevity, because they must compete directly with newer models. Thus, very few fighters have had long life spans, either in production or in service. The MiG-21 was an exception. The MiG-21 would exceed Mach 2.0, with an internal cannon and the capacity to carry between two and six missiles. Like most fighters, the MiG-21 would eventually serve in a ground attack role, in which it can carry a limited number of bombs and rockets.
罗伯特·法利在《国家利益》门户网站撰文指出，能经受时间考验的战机设计凤毛麟角。B-52 同温层堡垒轰炸机于 1952 年首飞，预计将服役超一个世纪。基于 1954 年投用设计的新款 C-130 运输机仍在持续生产。但这些毕竟是轰炸机和运输机，无需彼此厮杀。战斗机面临特殊的寿命挑战，因为它们必须直接与新型号抗衡。因此无论是生产周期还是服役年限，长寿战斗机都极为罕见——米格-21 恰是例外。该机型能以超过 2 马赫的速度飞行，配备内置机炮及 2 至 6 枚导弹的挂载能力。与多数战斗机类似，米格-21 最终也承担了对地攻击任务，可携带数量有限的炸弹与火箭弹。
Most modern fighters don’t fly much faster than the MiG-21 or maneuver much more capably. While they do carry more ordnance and have more sophisticated electronic equipment, many air forces can treat these as luxuries, as they simply want a cheap, fast, easy-to-maintain aircraft that can patrol airspace and occasionally drop a few bombs. The MiG-21 fitted the bill. The MiG-21 has reached 65 years, and probably will reach 70 years. It remains one of the iconic fighters of the supersonic age.
大多数现代战斗机的飞行速度并不比米格-21 快多少，机动性能也未见得更为出色。虽然它们确实能携带更多武器且配备更精密的电子设备，但对许多空军而言这些堪称奢侈——他们只需要一款廉价、高速且易于维护的战机来执行空域巡逻和偶尔的轰炸任务。米格-21 完美契合这些需求。这款战机已服役 65 年，很可能将延续至 70 年，至今仍是超音速时代的标志性战机之一。
Several pilots attained ace status (five or more aerial victories) while flying the MiG-21. Nguyen Van Coc of the VPAF, who scored nine kills in MiG-21s, is regarded as the most successful MiG-21 pilot of all time. Twelve other VPAF pilots were credited with five or more aerial victories while flying the MiG-21. Additionally, three Syrian pilots are known to have attained ace status while flying the MiG-21.
多名飞行员驾驶米格-21 期间获得了王牌飞行员称号（击落 5 架或以上敌机）。越南人民空军（VPAF）的阮文谷在米格-21 上取得 9 次击坠记录，被视为该机型史上最成功的飞行员。另有 12 名越南人民空军飞行员驾驶米格-21 时创下 5 次以上空战胜利。此外，已知有 3 名叙利亚飞行员驾驶米格-21 期间获得王牌称号。
The record for highest number of sorties in a MiG-21 belongs to Air Commodore Surendra Singh Tyagi (Retd.) of the IAF, with 6,316. He also holds the world record for the most flying hours in the aircraft, with 4,306. His extensive experience with the MiG-21 is recognized by the Russians. As a great era comes to an end, some ancient MiGs may still be flying in the hands of war-bird enthusiasts long after the last B-52 shuts down forever.
印度空军退役准将苏伦德拉·辛格·蒂亚吉保持着米格-21 战机最高出击架次纪录，达 6,316 次。他还以 4,306 飞行小时创下该机型世界最长飞行时间纪录。俄方认可其驾驶米格-21 的丰富经验。当一个伟大时代落幕，即便最后一架 B-52 永久停飞多年后，或许仍有某些老式米格机在战争鸟类爱好者的驾驭下翱翔长空。
Anil Chopra
By Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retired), an Indian Air Force veteran fighter test pilot and is the former Director-General of the Center for Air Power Studies in New Delhi.
作者：印度空军退役空军中将阿尼尔·乔普拉（Anil Chopra），曾是该国空军资深战斗机试飞员，并担任过新德里空军力量研究中心的前任主任。
Indian Air Force bids adieu to its workhorse, the MiG-21
RT：印度空军告别其主力战机米格-21
Inducted in 1964, the legendary fighter jet served in wars, airstrikes, and historic dogfights – cementing its place in India’s military legacy
这款传奇战斗机于 1964 年列装，曾参与多场战争、空袭及历史性空战，在印度军事史上留下了不可磨灭的印记
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is finally set to retire its MiG-21 fleet this weekend after over 60 years of glorious service. India was among the three major operators after the Soviet unx and China (licensed variant Chengdu J-7).
在经历了 60 余年的辉煌服役后，印度空军（IAF）将于本周末正式退役其米格-21 机队。印度曾是继苏联和中国（授权生产的成都歼-7）之后该机型三大主要使用国之一。
The MIG-21 has been the workhorse of the IAF. It was inducted in 1963 and has continued in service ever since. In August 2019, the IAF made headlines when its jets launched airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist facility in Pakistan, known as the Balakot strikes. IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16 while flying a MiG-21 Bison, during a showdown between the IAF and Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
米格-21 堪称印度空军的功勋战机。该机型自 1963 年列装以来持续服役至今。2019 年 8 月，印度空军米格战机对巴基斯坦境内"穆罕默德军"恐怖分子基地实施空袭（即巴拉科特空袭）曾引发全球关注。在印巴空军对峙期间，空军中校阿比南丹·瓦尔塔曼驾驶米格-21"野牛"型战机击落巴基斯坦 F-16 战机，创下传奇战例。
The iconic MiG-21 protected the Indian skies through major conflicts. Its retirement is an emotional time for several generations of Indian fighter pilots. Indian media is replete with nostalgic reminiscences of great aviators and air veterans.
标志性的米格-21 战机在重大冲突中守护了印度领空。它的退役令几代印度战斗机飞行员感慨万千。印度媒体充斥着对伟大飞行员和空军老兵们的怀旧回忆。
This author himself honed his combat flying skills in this aircraft starting in 1974, and was Team Leader of the MiG 21 Upgrade project in Russia during 1996-2000.
作者本人自 1974 年起便驾驶该机型锤炼战斗飞行技艺，并于 1996 至 2000 年间担任俄罗斯米格-21 升级项目的团队负责人。
Legend in the making
传奇铸就
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 was designed as a supersonic jet interceptor aircraft by the MiG Design Bureau of the Soviet unx. The MiG-21 was an airplane that hewed to the classic “perfect is the enemy of good enough” approach. The Soviets wanted to fill the sky with thousands of simple, lightweight, reliable jets. That strategy had worked splendidly with the Soviet AK-47 rifle.
米高扬-格列维奇设计局研制的米格-21 是一款超音速喷气式拦截机。该机型秉承"完美是够好的敌人"这一经典设计理念，苏联意图通过大量部署结构简单、重量轻便且性能可靠的战机实现空中力量规模化，这一策略与其 AK-47 步枪的成功路径如出一辙。
Over 60 countries across four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves in a few smaller air forces 65 years after its maiden flight. It made aviation records, and became the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history (11,496), the most-produced combat aircraft after the Korean War, and once the longest production run of a combat aircraft, now exceeded by both the McDonnell Douglas F-15 and the Lockheed Martin F-16. Its baby brother, the transonic MiG-15, holds the all-time jet record with around 18,000 units produced. The MiG-21 had a long production run from 1959 to 1985, and the airplane was thereafter upgraded by India and Romania.
这款战机曾服役于四大洲超过 60 个国家，首飞 65 年后仍在部分小型空军部队服役。它创下了多项航空纪录：航空史上产量最高的超音速喷气式飞机（11,496 架）、朝鲜战争后产量最大的作战飞机，并曾保持作战飞机最长量产期纪录（现已被麦道 F-15 和洛克希德 F-16 超越）。其前身亚音速米格-15 仍保持着约 1.8 万架的喷气式飞机总产量纪录。米格-21 自 1959 至 198 年持续量产，后期由印度和罗马尼亚实施了现代化改造。
Development of what would become the MiG-21 began in the early 1950s, when Mikoyan OKB finished a preliminary design study for a swept-wing prototype designated Ye-1 in 1954. After evolution, the first prototype with a delta-wing was the Ye-4. It made its maiden flight on June 16, 1955, and its first public appearance at Moscow’s Tushino airfield in July 1956.
米格-21 的研发始于 1950 年代初，米高扬设计局于 1954 年完成了后掠翼原型机 Ye-1 的初步设计方案。经过演变，首款采用三角翼布局的原型机 Ye-4 于 1955 年 6 月 16 日完成首飞，并于 1956 年 7 月在莫斯科图希诺机场首次公开亮相。
The MiG-21 was the first successful Soviet aircraft combining fighter and interceptor capabilities. It was a lightweight Mach 2 fighter with a relatively low-powered afterburning turbojet when compared to the American F-104 or F-5, or even the French Mirage III. The very characteristic shock cone in the front air intake was unique and peculiar, and left little space for a decent-sized radar. Like many aircraft designed as interceptors, the MiG-21 had a short range.
米格-21 是苏联首款成功结合战斗机与截击机能力的航空器。这款轻型马赫 2 战斗机采用加力涡轮喷气发动机，与美国 F-104、F-5 乃至法国幻影 III 相比，其发动机功率相对较低。其进气口独特的激波锥设计极具辨识度，却也导致难以安装大尺寸雷达。与众多截击机设计类似，米格-21 存在航程较短的缺陷。
The MiG-21’s simple controls, engine, weapons, and avionics were typical of Soviet-era military designs. The use of a tail with the delta wing aids stability and control at the extremes of the flight envelope, enhancing safety for lower-skilled pilots. This, in turn, enhanced its marketability in exports to developing countries with limited training programs and restricted pilot pools.
米格-21 简单的操纵系统、发动机、武器及航电设备，体现了苏联时代军事设计的典型特征。三角翼配合尾翼的设计，在飞行包线极限状态下仍能保持稳定操控，显著降低了飞行员的操控难度。这一特性使其在训练体系薄弱、飞行员储备有限的发展中国家市场极具竞争力。
The maximum permitted speed was 2,237 km/M2.05 at 13,000 m (42,651 ft), and 1,300 km/h/M1.06 at sea level. The service ceiling was 17,500 m (57,400 ft). The aircraft could operate from semi-prepared surfaces. The aircraft armament included one GSh-23 mm gun with 200 rounds. Aircraft had five hard-points with a capacity of up to 2,000 kg of stores, with provisions to carry combinations of bombs rockets and missiles or fuel drop-tanks. In later variants it included the latest air-to-air missiles the R-73, R-77, and R-27. Its low production and maintenance costs made it a favorite of many nations.
该机最大允许速度为 13,000 米（42,651 英尺）高度下 2,237 公里/小时（马赫 2.05），海平面 1,300 公里/小时（马赫 1.06）。实用升限达 17,500 米（57,400 英尺），可在半铺装跑道起降。 武器系统配备一门 23 毫米 GSh 机炮（备弹 200 发）及五个外挂点，最大载弹量 2,000 公斤，可混合挂载炸弹、火箭弹、导弹或副油箱。后期型号更搭载 R-73、R-77 和 R-27 等先进空对空导弹。其低廉的生产维护成本使其成为多国青睐的机型。
A total of 10,645 aircraft were built in the USSR. They were produced in factories at Moscow, Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) and Tbilisi. A total of 194 MiG-21F-13s were built under license in Czechoslovakia and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) built 657 MiG-21 variants. About 2,400 J-7s were manufactured in China, including for export. Due to the mass production, the aircraft was very cheap. The MiG-21MF, for example, was cheaper than the BMP-1 Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. The American F-4 Phantom cost several times as much as the MiG-21.
苏联共制造了 10,645 架该型飞机，这些飞机产自莫斯科、高尔基（今下诺夫哥罗德）和第比利斯的工厂。捷克斯洛伐克按许可证生产了 194 架米格-21F-13，印度斯坦航空有限公司（HAL）则生产了 657 架米格-21 各型号。中国制造了约 2,400 架歼-7，其中包括出口机型。由于大规模生产，该型飞机价格极为低廉——例如米格-21MF 的造价甚至低于苏联 BMP-1 两栖履带式步兵战车，而美国 F-4"鬼怪"战斗机的成本则是米格-21 的数倍之多。
Operational history India
在印度的战史
In 1961, the IAF opted to purchase the MiG-21 over several other Western competitors. As part of the deal, the Soviet unx offered India full transfer of technology and rights for local assembly. Since 1963, the IAF has inducted more than 1,200 different MiG fighters. In 1964, the MiG-21 became the first supersonic fighter jet to enter service with the IAF. Meanwhile, factories were set up at Nasik (aircraft), Hyderabad (Avionics), and Koraput (engines) with Soviet assistance. HAL produced 657 aircraft of three variants: MiG-21FL, MiG-21M, and MiG-21bis.
1961 年，印度空军放弃其他西方竞争对手，选择了米格-21。作为协议的一部分，苏联向印度提供了全套技术转让和本地组装授权。自 1963 年起，印度空军陆续列装了 1200 多架各型米格战斗机。1964 年，米格-21 成为印度空军首款超音速战斗机。在苏联援助下，印度先后在纳西克（飞机）、海得拉巴（航电）和科拉普特（发动机）建立了制造厂。印度斯坦航空公司共生产了 657 架米格-21FL、米格-21M 和米格-21bis 三种型号。
Due to limited induction numbers and insufficient pilot training, the IAF MiG-21 played a limited role in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965. However, the IAF gained valuable experience.
由于列装数量有限且飞行员训练不足，米格-21 在 1965 年印巴战争中发挥有限。但印度空军从中获得了宝贵经验。
The capabilities of the MiG-21 were put to the test during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. MiG-21s played a crucial role in giving the IAF air superiority in both western and eastern theaters. The 1971 war witnessed the first supersonic air combat in the subcontinent when an Indian MiG-21FL claimed a PAF F-104A Starfighter with its GSh-23 twin-barrel 23 mm cannon. By the end of the hostilities, the IAF MiG-21FLs had shot four PAF F-104s and two Shenyang F-6, and one PAF Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
米格-21 战斗机的性能在 1971 年孟加拉国解放战争期间经受实战检验。该机型为印度空军在东西两线战区夺取制空权发挥了关键作用。这场战争见证了南亚次大陆首次超音速空战——印度米格-21FL 战机使用 GSh-23 型 23 毫米双管机炮击落巴基斯坦空军 F-104A"星战士"战机。至战争结束时，印度空军的米格-21FL 共计击落 4 架巴军 F-104、2 架沈阳歼-6 战机以及 1 架洛克希德 C-130"大力神"运输机。
In the eastern sector, the MiG-21 played a crucial role for the IAF, earning the moniker “runway buster” for its ground attack capabilities. Repeat attacks on December 6 and 7, 1971, successfully cratered the runways at Tejgaon and Kurmitola near Dhaka, effectively grounding the PAF in the eastern sector. On December 14, 1971, four MiG-21s from Tezpur airbase led by Wg Cdr Bishnoi (VrC & Bar) attacked the Governor’s House in Dhaka, paving the way for the surrender of Pakistani forces.
在东部战线，米格-21 为印度空军立下汗马功劳，其卓越的对地攻击能力赢得了"跑道毁灭者"的绰号。1971 年 12 月 6 日至 7 日的连续空袭中，该机型成功炸毁达卡附近的 Tejgaon 和 Kurmitola 机场跑道，彻底瘫痪了巴基斯坦空军在东部战区的作战能力。12 月 14 日，由比什诺伊联队长（VrC 及 Bar 勋章获得者）率领的四架从提斯浦尔空军基地起飞的米格-21 编队空袭达卡总督府，为巴基斯坦军队最终投降奠定决定性基础。
Because of the performance of India’s MiG-21s, several nations, including Iraq approached India for MiG-21 pilot training. By the end of the 1970s, more than 120 Iraqi pilots were being trained by the IAF. On August 10, 1999, two MiG-21Bis of the IAF intercepted and shot down a Pakistan’s Naval Air Arms Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft with an air-to-air missile after it entered Indian airspace for surveillance, killing all on board.
由于印度米格-21 战机的出色表现，包括伊拉克在内的多个国家曾向印度寻求米格-21 飞行员培训。截至 20 世纪 70 年代末，印度空军已为超过 120 名伊拉克飞行员提供训练。1999 年 8 月 10 日，两架印度空军的米格-21Bis 战机在巴海军"大西洋"海上巡逻机侵入印度领空执行侦察任务时，使用空对空导弹实施拦截并将其击落，机上人员全部遇难。
However, the plane had been plagued by safety issues. Since 1970, more than 170 Indian pilots and 40 civilians have been killed in MiG-21 accidents. The aircraft engine operates very close to its surge line in some regimes, and the ingestion of even a small bird can lead to an engine surge/seizure and flame out. On December 11, 2013, the MiG-21FL was decommissioned after being in service for 50 years. The final Soviet-produced variant was the MiG-21bis, manufactured between 1972 and 1985.
然而，该机型长期受安全问题困扰。自 1970 年以来，已有超过 170 名印度飞行员和 40 名平民在米格-21 事故中丧生。该战机发动机在某些工况下运行参数接近喘振边界，即使吸入小型鸟类也可能导致发动机喘振/停车并熄火。2013 年 12 月 11 日，米格-21FL 在服役 50 年后正式退役。苏联生产的最终改进型是 1972 至 1985 年间制造的米格-21bis。
MiG 21 Bison
米格-21"野牛"（拜森）改进型
To stretch its operational life and to give it significant multi-role capability, the IAF went for the MiG-21upgrade, in the mid-1990s, jointly with the MiG Design Bureau in Russia. The aircraft was named “Bison”.
为延长服役寿命并赋予其显著的多任务能力，印度空军于 1990 年代中期联合俄罗斯米格设计局启动了米格-21 升级计划，改进后的机型被命名为"野牛"。
It had a MiG-29 bubble canopy and wraparound windscreen; far more capable radar; a helmet-mounted weapons sight; and beyond-visual-range, fire-and-forget advanced missile missiles such as the R-73 and R-77. These and other modifications created a fourfold increase in the airplane’s capability and brought it up to roughly the level of the early F-16 variants. It also got a radar warning receiver, an internal jammer, improved avionics and a new head-up display. It also received TV-guided bombs. In total, 125 jets were inducted in six squadrons.
它配备了米格-29 的泡型座舱罩和环绕式风挡玻璃；性能更强的雷达；头盔瞄准系统；以及 R-73 和 R-77 等"发射后不管"的超视距先进导弹。这些改进使飞机作战能力提升四倍，达到早期 F-16 改进型的水平。此外还加装了雷达告警接收器、内置干扰机、改进型航电系统和平视显示器，并配备了电视制导炸弹。共有 6 个中队列装了 125 架该型战机。
The Indian Upgrade Team operated with the MiG Design Bureau in Moscow. The physical modification was at the “Sokol” Aircraft Plant in Nizhny Novgorod. During 45 years of serial production this plant manufactured about 13,500 combat aircraft, including MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-19, MiG-21, MiG-25, MiG-29, and MiG-31, among others.
印度升级团队与莫斯科的米格设计局合作开展改装工作，机体改造在下诺夫哥罗德的"索科尔"飞机制造厂进行。该厂 45 年批量生产期间共制造约 13,500 架战机，包括米格-15、米格-17、米格-19、米格-21、米格-25、米格-29 和米格-31 等型号。
Indian pilot Harish Nayani and flight test engineer VT Nathan actively participated in the Bison test flight testing in Russia. The Indian team had excellent working relations with the Russians, and some old-timers had worked in India to help set up the MiG plant at Nasik. We also had skiing, camping, and cruise outings together.
印度飞行员哈里什·纳亚尼（Harish Nayani）和试飞工程师 VT·内森（VT Nathan）积极参与了在俄罗斯进行的"野牛"战机试飞测试。印度团队与俄方建立了出色的工作关系，一些资深专家曾赴印度协助建立位于纳西克的米格飞机制造厂。双方还共同组织了滑雪、野营和游艇出游等联谊活动。
The final MiG-21 Bison proved a formidable fighter.
最终定型的米格-21"野牛"战机被证明是一款性能强悍的战斗机。
'Rock-solid airfrx'
“坚如磐石的机身”
The MiG-21 has been called the AK-47 of airplanes. “Rock-solid airfrx,” a former MiG-21 ground technician once told this author. “Really, the thing only needs to be topped off with fluids, and it just goes and goes.”
米格-21 被誉为战机界的 AK-47。一位前米格-21 地勤技师曾告诉笔者："机身坚如磐石，真的，这玩意儿只需要加满油液就能持续飞行。"
When the US Air Force operated MiG-21s as adversary aircraft combat trainers, they found them to be, in the words of one crew chief, “Just like your family car. As long as it’s full of fuel, you pull it out of the garage and start it up.” “With a set of home socket wrenches and screwdrivers, you could get a lot of maintenance done on the little jet,” said another crew chief.
当美国空军将米格-21 作为假想敌战机用于对抗训练时，他们发现——用一位机务长的话说——"就像家里的轿车，只要加满油，从机库拖出来就能启动"。另一位机务长表示："用一套家用套筒扳手和螺丝刀，就能对这架小飞机完成大量维护工作。"
The fact that a MiG-21 can cost just $500,000 as compared to a second-hand F-16C, which can cost a small country $15 million. MiG-21s or their Chinese-produced variants were flown in more than 60 countries. During the Cold War, the United States acquired many MiG-21 variants. American pilots spoke highly of the plane, and it performed more than adequately in aggressor training situations. Indeed, highly trained American pilots probably pushed the MiG-21 farther than most Soviet pilots could have done. There still are around 44 privately owned MiG-21s in the US. Draken International acquired 30 MiG-21bis/UM, mostly ex-Polish, and was last known to be still operating them.
米格-21 战机的价格仅为 50 万美元，而二手 F-16C 却可能让一个小国花费 1500 万美元。全球超过 60 个国家曾使用米格-21 或其中国改型战机。冷战期间，美国曾引进了多种米格-21 改型。美国飞行员对其评价甚高，该机型在假想敌训练中表现卓越。事实上，经过严格训练的美军飞行员可能比大多数苏联飞行员更能发挥米格-21 的极限性能。目前美国境内仍有约 44 架私人拥有的米格-21，其中德拉肯国际公司收购了 30 架米格-21bis/UM 型（多数为波兰退役机型），据悉至今仍在运营这些战机。
Robert Farley wrote in the “National Interest” portal that a few designs stand the test of time. The B-52 Stratofortress first flew in 1952, and is expected to cross a century in service. New C-130s continue to roll off the production line, based on a design that became operational in 1954. But those are bombers and transport aircraft; they don’t fight one another. Fighters face a special problem of longevity, because they must compete directly with newer models. Thus, very few fighters have had long life spans, either in production or in service. The MiG-21 was an exception. The MiG-21 would exceed Mach 2.0, with an internal cannon and the capacity to carry between two and six missiles. Like most fighters, the MiG-21 would eventually serve in a ground attack role, in which it can carry a limited number of bombs and rockets.
罗伯特·法利在《国家利益》门户网站撰文指出，能经受时间考验的战机设计凤毛麟角。B-52 同温层堡垒轰炸机于 1952 年首飞，预计将服役超一个世纪。基于 1954 年投用设计的新款 C-130 运输机仍在持续生产。但这些毕竟是轰炸机和运输机，无需彼此厮杀。战斗机面临特殊的寿命挑战，因为它们必须直接与新型号抗衡。因此无论是生产周期还是服役年限，长寿战斗机都极为罕见——米格-21 恰是例外。该机型能以超过 2 马赫的速度飞行，配备内置机炮及 2 至 6 枚导弹的挂载能力。与多数战斗机类似，米格-21 最终也承担了对地攻击任务，可携带数量有限的炸弹与火箭弹。
Most modern fighters don’t fly much faster than the MiG-21 or maneuver much more capably. While they do carry more ordnance and have more sophisticated electronic equipment, many air forces can treat these as luxuries, as they simply want a cheap, fast, easy-to-maintain aircraft that can patrol airspace and occasionally drop a few bombs. The MiG-21 fitted the bill. The MiG-21 has reached 65 years, and probably will reach 70 years. It remains one of the iconic fighters of the supersonic age.
大多数现代战斗机的飞行速度并不比米格-21 快多少，机动性能也未见得更为出色。虽然它们确实能携带更多武器且配备更精密的电子设备，但对许多空军而言这些堪称奢侈——他们只需要一款廉价、高速且易于维护的战机来执行空域巡逻和偶尔的轰炸任务。米格-21 完美契合这些需求。这款战机已服役 65 年，很可能将延续至 70 年，至今仍是超音速时代的标志性战机之一。
Several pilots attained ace status (five or more aerial victories) while flying the MiG-21. Nguyen Van Coc of the VPAF, who scored nine kills in MiG-21s, is regarded as the most successful MiG-21 pilot of all time. Twelve other VPAF pilots were credited with five or more aerial victories while flying the MiG-21. Additionally, three Syrian pilots are known to have attained ace status while flying the MiG-21.
多名飞行员驾驶米格-21 期间获得了王牌飞行员称号（击落 5 架或以上敌机）。越南人民空军（VPAF）的阮文谷在米格-21 上取得 9 次击坠记录，被视为该机型史上最成功的飞行员。另有 12 名越南人民空军飞行员驾驶米格-21 时创下 5 次以上空战胜利。此外，已知有 3 名叙利亚飞行员驾驶米格-21 期间获得王牌称号。
The record for highest number of sorties in a MiG-21 belongs to Air Commodore Surendra Singh Tyagi (Retd.) of the IAF, with 6,316. He also holds the world record for the most flying hours in the aircraft, with 4,306. His extensive experience with the MiG-21 is recognized by the Russians. As a great era comes to an end, some ancient MiGs may still be flying in the hands of war-bird enthusiasts long after the last B-52 shuts down forever.
印度空军退役准将苏伦德拉·辛格·蒂亚吉保持着米格-21 战机最高出击架次纪录，达 6,316 次。他还以 4,306 飞行小时创下该机型世界最长飞行时间纪录。俄方认可其驾驶米格-21 的丰富经验。当一个伟大时代落幕，即便最后一架 B-52 永久停飞多年后，或许仍有某些老式米格机在战争鸟类爱好者的驾驭下翱翔长空。
Anil Chopra
By Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retired), an Indian Air Force veteran fighter test pilot and is the former Director-General of the Center for Air Power Studies in New Delhi.
作者：印度空军退役空军中将阿尼尔·乔普拉（Anil Chopra），曾是该国空军资深战斗机试飞员，并担任过新德里空军力量研究中心的前任主任。
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