Indian MiG-21s Once Beat American-Built F-104A Starfighters in Combat nationalinterest.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nationalinterest.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In 1971, India Proved to Pakistan That Its MiG-21 Fighters are Killers
The showdown between the two aircraft was long anticipated as the F-104 and MiG-21 in many ways were rival designs.
Here s What You Need To Remember: After the 1971 war, the MiG-21 would continue to serve in the IAF, although it did not see much further air combat. In 1999 an IAF MiG-21Bis shot down a Pakistani Navy Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft, creating a minor incident.
In 1971 the first supersonic air combat over the Indian subcontinent was fought. Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-21FLs squared off against Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-104A Starfighters. The MiG-21FL came out squarely on top, downing between three and five F-104As. But was the MiG-21 really a better aircraft? Or was the success due to the better strategy and numerical superiority of the IAF?