MiG-15 | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Fighter aircraft |
National origin | Soviet Union |
Manufacturer | Mikoyan-Gurevich |
Status | In limited service with the Korean People's Army Air Force |
Primary users | Soviet Air Forces (historical) |
Number built | 13,130 in the USSR + at least 4,180 under license |
History | |
Introduction date | 1949 |
First flight | 30 December 1947 |
Developed into | Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 |
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (Russian: Микоян-Гуревич МиГ-15; USAF/DoD designation: Type 14; NATO reporting name: Fagot) is a jet fighter aircraft developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich for the Soviet Union. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful jet fighters to incorporate swept wings to achieve high transonic speeds. In aerial combat during the Korean War, it outclassed straight-winged jet day fighters, which were largely relegated to ground-attack roles. In response to the MiG-15's appearance and in order to counter it, the United States Air Force rushed the North American F-86 Sabre to Korea.[1]
When refined into the more advanced MiG-17, the basic design would again surprise the West when it proved effective against supersonic fighters such as the Republic F-105 Thunderchief and McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II in the Vietnam War of the 1960s.
The MiG-15 is believed to have been one of the most produced jet aircraft with more than 13,000 manufactured.[2] The MiG-15 remains in service with the Korean People's Army Air Force as an advanced trainer.