Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19, various African users

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 is a Soviet second generation single-seat twin-engined supersonic fighter which is capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. The MiG-19S version, NATO codename 'Farmer C' is an improved variant with all-moving slab tail and equipped with Svod long-range navigation receiver. With more than a thousand units manufactured of this variant alone it was, reportedly, sold to various countries, among them, the following African ones:

• Algeria: The Algerian Air Force reportedly operated an unknown number of MiG-19S fighters. No further details are known and we couldn't find graphical evidence. So the reports are probably false and the MiG-19S never saw service with the Algerian Air Force. However, we drawn a speculative looking one.
• Congo-Brazzaville: The People's Republic of Congo Air Force had, reportedly, an unspecified number of MiG-19S. Unfortunately, any further detail is unknown, so the report is, just like the Algerian case, false. However, we drawn a speculative looking MiG-19S serving with this country's Air Force.
• Uganda: Many MiG-19S were reportedly supplied to the Uganda Army Air Force by Iraq. They were probably based in Entebbe. However, this report, just like the previous ones, seems to be erroneous and the Uganda Army Air Force probably never had any MiG-19 in service.

Sources:

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

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-19#Variants

3. https://www.valka.cz/Mikojan-Gurevic-MiG-19S-kod-NATO-Farmer-C-t12470

4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F, part three, African users, part one

The MiG-17F served with many African nations. Among them the following ones:

• Algeria: Immediately after the independence in 1962, the Algerian Air Force acquired some MiG-17Fs from the USSR, with some of them (most probably the regular older variant) being donated from Egypt. They took part in the border clashes with Morocco in 1963 with the MiG-17F performing the light bomber role. Later, during the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Algerian MiG-17Fs took part in the conflict under Egyptian command performing strafing and light bombing missions. Many of them were shot down in October 1973 by Israel. Some years later, in 1976, they returned to Algeria. It wasn't until the decade of the 1980s when they were retired and replaced by either the MiG-23 or the MiG-25.
• Angola: When the Angolan Civil War broke out, the Cubans agreed to send a squadron 9 MiG-17F which became de facto in the first Angolan combat aircraft founding the Angolan Air Force which was called "Força Aérea Popular de Angola" (Angola People's Air Force) in December 1975. They were composed entirely by Cubans and was formally constituted in a ceremony by the Angolan President Agostinho Neto on 21st January 1976. On the ceremony the MiG-17s paraded together with the MiG-21s. The commander of the MiG-17Fs squadron was Maj. José A. Montes. The MiG-17Fs act based on Cabinda attacking ground targets controlled by the separatist group FLEC (Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda), specially in the Northern regions. In April 1976 FLEC was practically defeated so they were switched against UNITA targets in mainland Angola. Shortly later some more MiG-21s arrived to replace the MiG-17Fs and, therefore, they were handed over to the Angolans. 
• Burkina Faso: Apparently a single MiG-17F was operated by the Air Force of Burkina Faso and even saw action in the Agacher Strip War in 1985-1986 between Mali and Burkina Faso. Apparently, it survived the war as in the 1990s it was still in active (in the reserve though) with the Air Force of Burkina Faso. 
• Ethiopia: During the Ogaden War, in 1977, the Cuban Air Force supported the revolutionary Ethiopian Government, so, in December 1977 the Cuban MiG-17Fs arrived. Among them there were a squadron of MiG-17Fs piloted and manned entirely by Cuban pilots. They took part on the counter-offensive that started on 22nd January 1978 that eventually ended with the Somalian defeat and the total conquest of Ogaden on 13th March. The Cuban pilots performed 1.013 combat missions, half of them being ground support ones, during the course of which many enemy tanks, cannons and other targets are destroyed. One MiG-17F piloted by Lt. Eladio Campos was shot down by Somalian anti-air fire killing the pilot. Curiously, in this conflict, CUban MiG-17s and MiG-21s served together with Ethiopian Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighters against another country armed only with MiG-17 and MiG-21 (and mainly with Pakistani pilots). However, there weren't aerial fights between MiGs as the Ethiopians had already achieved aerial superiority when the Cubans arrived. Cuban manned MiGs remained in Ethiopia for some more time but didn't see any more action in spite of the Ethiopian Border Clashes with Eritrea during the 1980s, regardless of some founded rumours. In September 1989, attending to the new international situation, last Cuban pilots abandon Ethiopia taking all the material with them.  

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-17

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algerian_Air_Force

3. http://www.urrib2000.narod.ru/EqMiG17.html (translated)

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burkina_Faso_Armed_Forces#Air_Force

5. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI, part three, North African users

As we said before the MiG-15UTI was widely used all accross the world not just by those countries in the Soviet sphere of influence, but also by some neutral ones.
In this post we're going to cover the North African users of the MiG-15UTI.

• Algeria: Inmediately after achieving their independence, the newly founded Algerian Air Force received MiG-15UTIs from Egypt to make them the backbone of their training units. They served in the trainer role well until the 80s when they were replaced with the Aero L-39 Albatross.
• Egypt: The Egyptian Air Force bought some MiG-15s back in 1951 together with a number of MiG-15UTI trainers. They were assigned to their training squadrons and, many of them were destroyed in the aerial raids during the Suez Crisis and some others were gifted to Algeria in the early 60s. The UTIs served in the trainer role at least until the 1970s.
• Libya: The Air Force of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya received some old-fashioned yet efficient MiG-15UTIs in the late 70s. They served in the trainer role until they were replaced with the Aero L-39 in the late 80s.
• Morocco: In 1961 the Royal Moroccan Air Force underwent deep reforms and obtained some MiG-15UTIs which were used until the 1970s when they were replaced by the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet E in the 90s.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-15

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

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

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

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis, various Middle-eastern & African users

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis was used by many Middle-Eastern and African countries. Among them we can find:

• Afghanistan: Back in the mid-1950s the Royal Afghan Air Force underwent a modernization process which made it to withdraw from active service completely outdated aircraft like the Hawker Hind. They bought material almost exclusively from the USSR as it was the cheapest option and, by 1960 their air force was composed of around 100 aircraft, including MiG-15bis fighters and Il-28 bombers. As the country was one of the most conflictive in the region, they weren't never written-off and were most likely used in the many conflicts that the country underwent through the 1970s, 1980s and the 1990s and most of the fighters were, most probably, destroyed. As our main source was a quite blurry photo where the registration numbers can't be read, the registration should be taken as speculative.
• Algeria: When Algeria achieved its independence and the Algerian Air Force was created, many Arab countries donated second-hand material, like Egypt, which donated some MiG-15, MiG-15bis and MiG-15UTIs. As, by the 1960s the MiG-15bis were outdated, they were employed as advanced trainers until they were withdrawn when they were replaced by more modern types. As we couldn't find reliable graphical source, the drawing should be taken as speculative.
• North Yemen: As the North Yemen Air Force was supplied, theoretically, by Western powers, the MiG-15bis that served with the North Yemen Air Force were, most likely, captured exemplars. As we couldn't find graphical evidence, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Iraq: When the monarchy was overthrown in Iraq, in the 14th July 1958 revolution, the revolutionary government turned to the USSR looking for new aircraft suppliers. They bought mainly MiG-17s but also some MiG-15bis and MiG-15UTIs which, except for the MiG-17 (which was the most advanced type that the IAF had in inventory during this stage), were used as trainers or advanced trainers. As we couldn't find definitive graphical source, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Pakistan: Apparently, the Pakistan Air Force had a small number of MiG-15 in the very late 1950s. They were most probably some Afghan or even Soviet defector aircraft which landed there and it was interned and repainted. Their fate is unknown and, as there are very little references to the MiG-15bis, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Somalia: Together with the Chinese-built MiG-17s (Shenyang F-5), in the year 1960 they were supplied with both Chinese-built MiG-15UTIs (Shenyang FT-2) and second (or even third) hand MiG-15bis which were intended to be used as advanced trainers. Most likely they were used in the Ogaden war in 1977 and the subsequent wars until they were destroyed. As there aren't graphical references, the drawing should be taken as speculative.
• South Yemen: When the South Yemen Republic was created in 1967, it had the support of the USSR, which supplied their Air Force with MiG-15bis, MiG-15UTIs, MiG-17 and MiG-21. They most likely saw combat in the war against their Northern neighbours and were all of them destroyed. Again, the drawing should be taken with a grain of salt as it's speculative.
• Syria: Back in 1955 Syria ordered 24 MiG-15bis fighters and 4 MiG-15UTIs from Czechoslovakia. This order was followed the next year by another batch of additional 24 MiG-15bis. All those fighters were delivered to Egypt which, by October 1956, their pilots were still undergoing training when Israel, backed by the United Kingdom and France, attacked in the course of the Suez Crisis. Most of them were destroyed in the ground during that conflict and, in the afterwards, the Syrian Air Force, ordered the more modern type MiG-17PF.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_Air_Force

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algerian_Air_Force

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

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

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Pakistan_Air_Force

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

7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Yemen

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_Air_Force

9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Air_Force

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, Algerian and Egyptian users

Preliminary note: We are considering the MiG-15 as a separate aircraft from the MiG-15bis. 
The first version of the MiG-15 was exported to many countries, among them Algeria and Egypt.

• Algeria: When Algeria became independent in 1962 and the Algerian Air Force was formed, they received ex-Egyptian MiG-15, MiG-15bis and MiG-15UTI as a gift. Given their obsolescence, the MiG-15 was used as an advanced trainer.
• Egypt: In 1955, after four years of negotiations, the Egyptian government closed a trade agreement with Czechoslovakia as they were determined to move away from reliance of British armaments. Initially they were an unknown number of regular MiG-15, which served in the No.20 Squadron of the Royal Egyptian Air Force and, apparently some of them were employed during the Suez Crisis in 1956.

Sources:

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

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algerian_Air_Force

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters