Top 5 Oldest Fighter Jets Still in Operational Service

Ever wondered how much work goes into designing, developing and manufacturing a fighter jet? Very nice! So it is useless to discard sound and effective structure after a very short period of time.

It is not every time that an outdated fighter cannot serve in a high class air force. To guarantee a high level of performance, military aircraft, in fact, regularly undergo extensive revisions and replace their components.

As a result, most military aircraft are upgraded with many critical components such as engines, avionics, and armament. There is only a fuselage that looks ancient but hides the latest technology. It should be noted that the majority of military air force,are updated and modified versions of older models that were released before the original model was discontinued.

For example, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 was introduced in 1959. The MiG-21bis and other aircraft of the 1970s are, however, the most operational aircraft of this type. In the 1990s and 2000s, many of them were upgraded with new technology. Age is only one of many factors that affect the performance of a fighter jet, but it’s certainly fascinating to look at. Law you know which are the five oldest military jets still in active use?

Top 5 Oldest Fighter Jets

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 is probably the oldest fighter aircraft still in service today. The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, a high-performance aircraft of the Korean Air Force, serves as a model for this military jet. The success of the -17 variant rests on its ability to be more powerful and faster, with some of the most recent models having the ability to use air-to-air missiles. This aircraft was launched in 1952.

These aircraft are still in use by the air forces of Uganda and Madagascar. But this particular variant has been in storage for many years awaiting use in missions. However, the Chinese-made Shenyang J-5 aircraft may have been more successful; According to reports, half of North Korea’s J-5s are still in service.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19

The first Soviet supersonic fighter jet was a specialized aircraft. It began flying in 1955, and although the Chinese-built Shenyang J-6 is no longer in use, the original aircraft remains prominent in the air forces of many nations.

For example, it is one of the most used aircraft in North Korea’s air force and is also flown by the air forces of Sudan and Myanmar. Some have been retained by the Chinese Naval Air Force for training.

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21

The MiG-21, along with its many variants, is used by several air forces, making it the oldest fighter aircraft still in service.

This well-known military aircraft, sometimes referred to as the “Fishbed”, was initially shown in 1959 in the Soviet Union. Its efficiency and simplicity of maintenance are key factors in determining its success. The MiG-21 is a highly cost-effective fighter/attack aircraft with a high-performance, supersonic capability with an extremely simple concept.

Northrop F-5

The F-5 was developed by Northrop as a light, affordable and easy-to-use supersonic fighter.

It was designated as the ideal military jet for transfer to those nations after entering service in 1959 as part of the US Military Assistance Program (MAP). The F-5 was converted to the F-5E Tiger II in the mid-1970s after combat use in Vietnam.

Production of the Northrop F-5 ceased in 1987, with about 2,700 aircraft produced. Some of them have been fitted with the latest avionics and weapons and are still in service as fighter-bombers, reconnaissance aircraft and flying instructors.

Chengdu J-7

The Chinese version of the Soviet MiG-21 completes our list as the fifth oldest fighter aircraft still in service. The first flight of the Chengdu J-7 took place in 1966.

Apart from being primarily flown by China’s Air Force, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), the fighter is also operational in Iran and Egypt, among other nations. China produced 54 J-7 variants to meet the various needs of the armed services. All those variations, however, can be divided into two primary categories: one version intended for use in China and another intended for export; The first category has 28 arrangements, while the latter category has 26.

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