Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19, even more Asian users

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 is a Soviet single-seat twin-engine supersonic fighter which is capable of maintaining supersonic speeds at level flight. Its "S" variant was widely exported all around the world and it served, among many other, with the following countries:

• Afghanistan: Afghanistan was the last customer of the Soviet-built MiG-19s. Our source claims that it was in 1965 when the Republican Afghan Air Force took delivery of 18 ex-Soviet MiG-19Ss with some of them surviving long enough to take part in the April 1978 revolution and also the ensuing civil war. The only problem is that, by 1965 there wasn't any Republican Afghan Air Force, as it wasn't created until 1973. However, we decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and drawn a speculative Afghan MiG-19S set in 1975.
• Cambodia: According to some reports the Royal Khmer Aviation (RKA) received an unknown number of MiG-19Ss during the late 1960s when prince Norodom Sihanouk was in power. After the March 1970 pro-American coup which forced Sihanouk to exile, the fighters were taken into the Khmer Air Force (KAF) and used against the South Vietnamese FNL (National Liberation Front) partisans which were making raids into Cambodian territory.
• Indonesia: When President Sukarno was in power during the late 1950s and early 1960s Indonesia had good relations with the USSR and took profit of the Soviet military aid. Soviet assets were supplied to the Indonesian Air Force which, among other material, there was a batch of 35 or 40 MiG-19Ss. They served with many fighter squadrons, among them the No.12 Squadron and later they were transferred to the Indonesian Naval Air Arm.
  In 1966, Sukarno was overthrown by anti-communist General Suharto and, in the ensuing wave of repression, Soviet support was cut-off. Therefore, every Soviet equipment became unserviceable due to the lack of spare parts. One MiG-19S was lost in an uncontrolled dive during an airshow killing its pilot.
  One MiG-19S is currently at display in the Indonesian Air Force Museum.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-19

2. Midland Publishing - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter
3. https://www.valka.cz/Mikojan-Gurevic-MiG-19S-kod-NATO-Farmer-C-t12470

4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Shenyang J-5/F-5.

The Shenyang J-5/F-5 is a Chinese-built single-seat jet fighter interceptor which is a license-built Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. It was exported to many countries under the denomination of Shenyang F-5.
It was originally designated as Dongfeng 101 and also as Type 56 before it was definitely named as J-5 in 1964.
It was built in China from 1956 until the 1960s when production ceased. It's believed that around 767 machines just of the regular version, the copy of the MiG-17F, were manufactured at Songling State-Owned Machinery Factory in the city of Shenyang, located in the province of Liaoning, in Manchuria. Initially, the Chinese obtained a license for the regular version of the MiG-17, which would retroactively be called Shenyang J-4 in the early 1950s. In order to introduce modern production methods to Chinese industry the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) obtained plans for the MiG-17F in 1955, along with two completed pattern aircraft, 15 knockdown kits and parts for ten aircraft. The first Shenyang J-5 flew for the first time on 19th July 1956 with test pilot Wu Keming as the pilot.
It was powered by a Wopen WP-5 engine (a copy of the Klimov VK-1) that yielded 25.5 kN (5700 lbf) of thrust and 33.8 kN (7600 lbf) with afterburner. It was armed with a single 37mm Type 37 cannon and two 23mm Type 23-1 cannons placed in the lower part of the nose, just like the regular MiG-17F.
It became the main PLAAF's fighter during the mid-to-late 1950s and even the first part of the 1960s and was also exported to many countries.
It served with the Cambodian Air Force, as ten F-5 were sent to the back then called Royal Khmer Aviation in 1965 as military aid. By 1970 only six of them were operational and those six remaining ones were lost on the ground in 1971 when the North Vietnamese Air Force conducted their "Sapper" attack.
It's also serving with the North Korean Air Force (NKAF). It's believed that at least 107 F-5s are still in active service with the NKAF. However, more than half of them are supposed to not be airworthy as they acquired back in the late 1960s and have been in active since then.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-5
2. https://www.valka.cz/topic/view/80747
3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F, part one, Afghan and Cambodian users

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F (NATO Codename "Fresco-C") was an improved variant of the regular MiG-17. It was a revised version with a better Klimov VK-1F engine which delivered 26.5 kN (6000 lbf) of thrust in dry and 33.8 kN (7600 lbf) with afterburner. It also included a new and improved air-brake which proved to be much better than the original one.
In this post we're going to post about two Asian users:

• Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA): After the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the subsequent foundation of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan in December 1979, the DRA's Air Force was established with Soviet material. Among it were some MiG-17F (which by the date were highly outdated) which remained grounded for most of the time due to maintenance issues or limited availability of crews. Most of them were destroyed or left to rot in the subsequent conflicts.
• Cambodia: In November 1963, after having received permission from the USSR to train their pilots there, the Kingdom of Cambodia received a batch of three MiG-17F fighter jets. It was followed later, in 1967 by a second batch of five more. Considering that Cambodia was, theoretically, neutral during the Vietnam War, from 1963 until 1970, the MiG-17Fs were assigned to the intervention squadron responsible for keeping Cambodian aerospace free.
  After the March 1970 coup with overthrew the monarchy and set up the Khmer Republic, the country fell into a bloody civil war, were the air force, composed of mixed American and Soviet material, played an important role. In fact, the recorded sorties of the MiG-17 during the period of March-October 1970 rose up to 360. Most of those were to support ground troops. It's worth pointing that some MiG-17Fs were modified to carry American Mk.82GP bombs underwings. Most of the Cambodian MiG-17Fs were either destroyed or abandoned in on of the subsequent wars.

Sources:

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

2. https://www.valka.cz/Mikojan-Gurevic-MiG-17F-kod-NATO-Fresco-C-t12484

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_Afghanistan#Air_Force

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

5. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI, part seven, Asian users part one

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI saw also loads of action in the Asian continent. Here are some countries where it was used:

• Cambodia: The Royal Cambodian Air Force got a single MiG-15UTI by order of the Prince Sihanouk in November 1963 which received many colour patterns during its active live. It operated with the intervention group in the ground-support role. It passed on to the Khmer Air Force and was most probably destroyed during the subsequent combats that ended with the triumph of the Democratic Kampuchea.
• Indonesia: Due to the rise of the Communist Party of Indonesia, the country got closer to the eastern bloc. That's why the Indonesian Air Force bought a batch of Soviet aircraft, among them some MiG-15UTIs from Czechoslovakia. They served as the main trainer of the air force during the decade of the 1960s and served alongside the Aero L-29 until they were phased out.
• Mongolia: The MiG-15UTI was the main trainer of the Mongolian People's Army Air Force. They received it in the late 1960s and early 1970s and they continue to serve in that role until the fall of communism in that country, in 1992.

Sources:

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

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

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

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_People%27s_Army_Air_Force