Shenyang F-6, Egyptian and Somalian users

 

The Shenyang F-6C is a day fighter version armed with three Type 30-1 30 mm cannons, which are a copy of the Soviet NR-30. It's a direct copy of the MiG-19S but it differs in having a braking parachute at the base of the rudder. 

The aircraft has been exported to various countries, among them, Egypt and Somalia, which are the main topic of this post:

• Egypt: When Cairo and Moscow broke up relations in 1976, Egypt turned to China for spares support. China saw the opportunity and sold around 40 Shenyang F-6C fighter-bombers and an unknown number of FT-6 trainers. According to Interavia, Egypt had no less than 100 F-6C and FT-6 in two air brigades, No.241 based at Bilbeis-East Air Base and No.242 based at Beni Suef Air Base, in early 1987. Some other sources claim that Egypt sold some F-6Cs to Iraq which were employed in the Iraq-Iran War.
  Flight International reported that by 1991 the Egyptian Air Force had 72 F-6C and six FT-6s in service. Those surviving F-6C and FT-6s were assigned mainly to the Nos.20 and 21 Squadrons both of which were part of the No.211 Fighter Ground Attack Brigade, based at Gianaclis Air Base, with a reduced number serving as an Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) with the Air Force's Academy at Bilbeis Air Base. 
  The F-6C were fitted with pylons for two 100 kg (220 lb) or 250 kg (551 lb) bombs for runaway cratering, ORO-57 FFAR pods or 212 mm (8.34 in) rockets. Some aircraft were even fitted with non-standard trapezoidal blast panels and a number were also upgraded with the Matra R.550 Magic IR-homing air-to-air missile. 
  They served until the mid-1990s when they were progressively replaced by the General-Dynamics F-16.
• Somalia: As the USSR supported Ethiopia at the border conflict with Somalia in 1977-1978, Somalia promptly terminated its friendship treaty with the USSR in November 1977. Therefore, Soviet military aid to Somalia was cut off and, after the Ogaden War, Somalia looked up to China to replace their MiG-17 and Shenyang F-5 that were lost in combat. Hence, from 1980 onwards, the Somali Air Force was supplied with 50 Shenyang F-6C fighters and FT-6 trainers. 
  When Somalian dictator Siad Barre fled the country in 1991, the country fell into chaos causing the Somalian Air Force to cease its existence and leaving most of its aircraft to rot at the different airfields around the country. Nowadays the remaining number of F-6Cs are listed as "in storage" but they are most likely, derelict.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-6

2. Midland Publishing - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 - The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Air_Force

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_Air_Force

5. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters