Specifically for the LanceR? No, but BVR capability was advertised on the MiG-21 2000, which is technically a earlier LanceR when Elbit was fully behind it (although I cannot find a photo of it having Derby)
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+1 for all 3 in folder (ideally but after the sniper, I don’t have much hope)
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+1 Some of the last MiG-21s in service.
I wonder what were the actual safety concerns (real or speculative)?
I am not that big into aviation details, but I am curious if these aircraft could theoretically be overhauled again to serve for longer? Or the issues are unresolvable, if so what might they be?
If anyone could answer, I’d appreciate it.
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Lancers are not in service anymore, they were retired a couple of years ago.
The problem with them is that they had extremely high accident rates and low serviceability rates.
This is because of a number of factors:
- The airframes are old. As aircraft age, the metal they are made of begins to fatigue which can lead to cracking and vibrations.
- Replacement parts would either be from (very) old stock or manufactured new, which is expensive
- MiG-21s lack a lot of modern safety and quality of life features. Older jets typically require a lot more attention from the pilot just to run the thing, which can be mentally taxing and take away from the time they can devote to the things that are important.
- MiG-21s also have very poor ergonomics, MFDs can help resolve some of this but the visibility from that cockpit is atrocious.
- They have a low range and low loiter time, which is important for modern air policing.
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This is what I was interested in. So you think it is impossible to resolve this specific issue? You’d need to build an entirely new jet then? Even if you had the right manufacturing for spare parts.
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Nothing’s impossible, North Korea is still using the MiG-15 after all, but a simple cost-benefit analysis will show that it is far more worthwhile to pursue a new jet then try and save a relic that existed before modern computer assisted design and material science.
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I’d argue that at least the ground attack version of the jet is still viable.
But, if it is coming down to limited budget, then I understand.
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Possibly, but the bottom line is they became too unsafe to fly. Under any high-intensity conflict they would simply fold like a house of cards.
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What I meant was that if you restore them (as you said “nothing is impossible”). Then a ground attack MiG-21 can still make sense for toss bombing/rocketering or launching stand-off weapons. Essentially what Ukrainian MiG-29s are doing.
I think there are a number of Arab, Asian or African nations out there who’d be more than happy to have such jets in their inventory. Regardless of how poor their cockpit is. Which is why I was wondering, why not restore and offer them up for sale?
Unless, they are so degraded that it is impossible to restore them.
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This is it. It’s not that you couldn’t use a MiG-21 for ground attack…
But the Romanian ones are in such a state that it is simply not economical to bother with them anymore.
But I still wouldn’t recommend any nation use the MiG-21. Better off going for some drones instead.
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