Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F-13 №007, Catching a big Fish(bed)

[yoyolast 1,708]

 

Introduction

MiG-21 №007 was a captured Israeli MiG-21F-13 and is highly renowned for being the first MiG-21 that has ever been captured by a "western" nation, having far-reaching effects far beyond those of just it's capturers in Israel. While many people do know the story of it's capture, few also know that at a point it was actually readied for combat and hopefully this should also shed some light on why I personally think this vehicle should be added to the Israeli tech tree.

 

 - MiG-21 №007 in it's original Iraqi Air Force colors with which it flew to Israel

 

Operation Diamond and the capture

The story of this aircraft's capturing actually has less to do with the Israeli Air Force and more so with Israel's infamous espionage agency: The Mossad. During the 60's it was clear information on the new Soviet fighter was of very high value as it was already being delivered in vast quantities to Israel's enemies, and so Ezer Weizman (then the commander of the Israeli Air Force) requested the head of the Mossad Meir Amit to get him a MiG-21. While the task wasn't simple by any means the Mossad took it on and attempted to recruit Iraqi pilots who would be willing to defect. After a single failed attempt the Mossad managed to recruit a pilot named Munir Redfa who was a Maronite Christian that had grown tired from his regime's actions in Iraq. After taking careful steps throughout a time period of about a year and half in which Munir even visited Israel in secret, the plan and agreement was finalized: Munir would fly a MiG-21 from Iraq to Israel and receive 1 Million Dollars, full Israeli citizenship and a job for life as compensation. The plan was enacted on the 16th of August 1966 in an operation dubbed as Operation Diamond. Munir received authorization to take off in a MiG-21 alone and flew it against his commander's instruction out of the country avoiding enemy radars of Iraq and Jordan. Once he had reached Israeli airspace he was intercepted by a pair Of Mirage IIICJs who escorted him to land in Hatzor air base, to which he made it on fumes. On that day Israel became the only western country in the world to posses a flightworthy MiG-21.

 

 - MiG-21 №007 with the chief IAF test pilot Danny Shapira next to it

 

Service history

After arriving in Israel the MiG-21 was recolored with Israeli markings and given the serial number 007. in Ezer Weizman's own words this number was chosen as a reference to the James Bond series of films as the nature of this aircraft's acquisition was considered of similar caliber to those films' plots. The chief test pilot of the Israeli Air Force at the time, Danny Shapira, was chosen to fly the aircraft to study it's characteristics and to allow Mirage pilots to fly against him. He was assisted by Munir who taught him some of the basics of flying the aircraft and marked the gauges in the cockpit in Hebrew and English for Danny to understand. The information collected during these tests gave invaluable information and experience to Israeli pilots who skillfully utilized it in the Six Day War in 1967, War of Attrition in 1967-1970 and Yom Kippur War in 1973. During this time the Israelis who were very keen for the world and their enemies to know what they had accomplished had shown off this aircraft in the media and proclaimed their success.

- Sir Sean Connery, then actor of the movie character James Bond, photographed with the 007 MiG-21 in a visit to Israel in 1967.

In a rather peculiar turn of events this MiG had actually done more than just being tested and flying in an aggressor role. In May 1967, as tension between Israel and it's Arab neighbors was rising, Egyptian Air Force MiG-21R recon aircraft penetrated Israeli air space and flew photography missions over the Israeli Negev desert. Israel's Mirage aircraft could not intercept the MiGs as they flew very high and very fast and avoided the Mirage's range sometimes even going as far as landing in Jordan to ensure it. It was then that an idea was hatched to use the captured MiG-21 to intercept the Egyptian recon MiGs. The aircraft was colored with bright red markings per Danny Shapira's request and put next to the 101 squadron's Mirages in Hatzor. Rafael crewman were brought to arm the aircraft and they modified it to carry a pair of Shafrir 2 missiles (which were still just being tested in 1967 and did not enter service officially). The MiG remained on alert until the 5th of June and did not end up being actually sent to intercept the recon aircraft. The MiG was last shown in it's Israeli colors on Israel's 20th Independence day in 1968.

 

 - MiG-21 №007 equipped with a pair of Shafrir 2 missiles while on alert at the start of the 1967 Six Day War

 

- Another picture of the MiG equipped with Shafrir 2 missiles. The missiles are colored red due to the fact that they were still experimental at the time.

 

Delivery to the USA

Both the Europeans and Americans were keen to also learn to characteristics of the MiG-21. These were the days of the USA's involvement in Vietnam and the Americans desperately needed an advantage as the kill ratio for the North Vietnamese was 9:1 against the Americans. At the time Israel wasn't willing to give the MiG to the Americans since security relations between the countries were actually not great as the Americans refused to sell arms to Israel throughout the 50's and 60's. After some convincing and allowing the sales of EW equipment (which would also lead to the sales of Skyhawks and F4 Phantoms), the Israelis were willing to give the Americans the MiG for testing where it was marked YF-110.

 - The MiG-21 after being delivered to the USA for use as an aggressor

 

 

 

Specifications

 

Type:  Fighter

 

Country of origin:  USSR

 

Length:  13.46 meters

 

Height: 4.50 meters

 

Wingspan: 7.15 meters

 

Wing area: 23 sq.m

 

Powerplant: Tumansky R-11F-300

 

Max speed: 2,240 km/h

 

Max altitude:  16,000 meters

 

Range: 1,850 km

 

Weight: Empty - 5,450 kg, fully loaded - 7,750 kg

 

Armaments: A single NR-30 30mm cannon, additionally could be equipped with a pair of Shafrir 2 AA missiles

 

 

 

Sources

Spoiler

Air War on the Edge by Bill Norton

The Air Force in combat - 70 years of aerial supremacy by Danny Shalom (Hebrew)

Encyclopedia Yifat - 100 years of aviation and space in Israel by Danny Shalom (Hebrew)

Part of the documentary "Born to fly" by Uri Borreda

The Israeli Air Force official website

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by yoyolast
Added a couple of photos

[leroyonly 4,310]

Open for discussion. 

[Solarmod 1,203]

+1, love weird operated captured vehicles, but not sure if it should be premium or event.

[i_ivanof 7,084]

If they are really adding an Israeli tree (which they really shouldn't but whatever) then they will need any vehicle they can get.

 

This would make for a good premium

[Kingtiez@live 606]

+1

[Milocat 4,848]

+1, this would be a great addition to the Israeli air tree.

[Z3r0_ 4,127]

It technically entered front line service, that's good enough for me.

[supersaiyan9751@live 366]

Technically Israeli did manage to get a mig-23 at one point(defected pilot) as well which could also come along with the other vehicles they did obtain at one point in time(such as mig-17s(possibly the F if I am not mistaken)) and a mig-15 as well(there is more info about the mig-17s than the mig-15). It would be nice to use those aircraft to bolster the tree a bit by filling any small gaps. So by adding this, those other vehicles may also get a chance so +1 for that chance through this.

Edited December 17, 2021 by supersaiyan9751@live

[yoyolast 1,708]

46 minutes ago, supersaiyan9751@live said:

Technically Israeli did manage to get a mig-23 at one point(defected pilot) as well which could also come along with the other vehicles they did obtain at one point in time(such as mig-17s(possibly the F if I am not mistaken)) and a mig-15 as well(there is more info about the mig-17s than the mig-15). It would be nice to use those aircraft to bolster the tree a bit by filling any small gaps. So by adding this, those other vehicles may also get a chance so +1 for that chance through this.

I don't think the MiG-23 would really work. It was a MiG-23MLD that defected and arrived in Israel with only it's gun and was never refitted with any additional armaments so it would be utterly useless in the game. The MiG-21 however was fitted with Shafrir 2 missiles in Israel at a point so it could work well enough. Earlier models of the MiGs that were captured could also work since they relied only on their guns anyways, but they would be far less unique.

[AVROVULCANXH558 349]

+1 as a squadron vehicle, which might be enough to entice more players to the Israeli tree. That being said, the back story is enough for it to be added. I think it should be at 10.0 because the fact that it only has two missiles should compensate for the fact that they are better and for the little cannon armament.

[BaileyThrasher 55]

How about MIG-21-2000, even maybe Elbit MiG-21 Lancer

Edited March 16, 2022 by BaileyThrasher
add Lancer.

[yoyolast 1,708]

30 minutes ago, BaileyThrasher said:

How about MIG-21-2000, even maybe Elbit MiG-21 Lancer

Nothing is stopping you from suggesting them yourself if you want them to be added. The difference is that the MiG-21 that is suggested in this suggestion was actually operated by the Israeli Air Force while the examples you brought up are upgrade packages which the IAI company offered for export customers.

[CokeSpray 7,272]

Suggestion passed to the developers for consideration.