The basic variant of the MiG-17 saw action with various Asian Air Forces.
- People's Republic of China: The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) adquired a number of MiG-17 in the early 1950s, which were designated as J-4. Most of them served with the PLAAF and were later sold to North Vietnam where they saw some action and were denominated, and often misidentified as Shenyangs.
- Democratic Republic of Afghanistan: After the communist coup of 1978 the Afghan Premier Mohammed Daoud Khan relied heavily on the Soviet material to modernize the Army. The USSR supplied the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan with obsolete MiG-17s which suffered heavy casualties during the Soviet-Afghan War. Some of them were still "active" in 1990 but their airworthiness it's doubtful to say the least.
- Mongolia: The Mongolian People's Army Air Force received some MiG-17s in the early 1960s which constituted the bulk of their fighter force. They were replaced in the 1970s by the MiG-21.
- Sri Lanka: After the 1971 communist insurrection, Ceylon received some Soviet material, among them some MiG-17. They were taken over by the subsequent government and kept in active until the 1990s. Nowadays one of them is preserved in a museum.
- North Vietnam: The North Vietnamese Air Force (NVAF) received its first jet fighter aircraft in February 1964. They weren't based in North Vietnamese soil but in mainland China as they were undergoing formation. On 3rd February 1964 the first fighter regiment, No.921 fighter regiment was formed, led by Lt. Col. Nguyen Phuc Trach. Few "pure" (IE Soviet made) MiG-17s served with the NVAF.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-17
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_People%27s_Air_Force
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka_Air_Force
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_Air_Force
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_People%27s_Army
6. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
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