Shenyang F-6, various Asian users

 

The Shenyang J-6 (F-6 denomination for the export variants) is the Chinese-built version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. It started as a "pure" copy of the MiG, but it evolved until being a fighter of its own. As it has been massively produced, it has been also, exported to various countries around the globe, among them, the following ones:

• Bangladesh: Beginning in 1978 the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) received at least 40 F-6C and FT-6 as a gift from Pakistan as they were phased out of service with the Pakistan Air Force. The F-6C was operated by the No.25 Squadron "Trendsetters" based initially at Patenga Air Base and later at other various air bases scattered around the country. By 1998 the types were being retired with the FT-6 being replaced in the trainer role by the Czech Albatross L-39ZA and the F-6C were replaced by Russian built MiG-29s.
• Burma/Myanmar: The Burmese Air Force ordered 36 F-6s, together with some Guizhou F-7M (the Chinese copy of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F-13) from China in 1990. However, by 1991 none of them were delivered. As with many other cases in this blog, we drawn it in Burmese colours in an imaginative exercise.
• Iraq: In 1983 Iraq bought 40 ex-Egyptian F-6C machines to supplement their MiG-19S. Their fate is unknown because many times they are taken by MiG-19s. However, it's most likely that many of them were destroyed during the First Gulf War and other sold to various customers like Uganda and North Korea. As we couldn't find graphical evidence of a Shenyang F-6C in Iraqi colours, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Iran: Apparently the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) acquired 24 F-6 fighter-bombers from North Korea which arrived via a cargo ship in April 1983. Apparently, during the Iran-Iraq they saw some action against Iraqi forces as they served as ground-attackers. Later, they bought additional FT-6 trainers. As we couldn't find any photo or pic of Iran's F-6 nor fighters, nor trainers, the FT-6 depicted below should be considered as speculative.
• North Korea: In 1988 (some sources claim 1980) as the North Korean Air Force (NKAF) looked on expanding the size of their air force, they acquired 100 F-6 fighter-bombers which were delivered in 1988 and 1989. They are still active nowadays based around the various air bases around the country.

Sources:

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

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

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

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

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_People%27s_Army_Air_and_Anti-Air_Force

6. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II, Iranian users

The Imperial Iranian Air Force first and the Islamic Republic of Iran later employed the F-4D (which we already covered in a previous post) and the F-4E, 225 of them in total.
They were extensively used in the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, and nowadays they are still operational thanks to Iran's Aerospace Industries.
They made some notable actions like the Operation Scorch Sword, where two F-4E bombed the Iraqi Osirak nuclear reactor site, close to Baghdad on 30th September 1980, or the H-3 air strike, when 8 Iranian F-4Es striked the H-3 complex of air bases in the westernmost part of Iraq, resulting in the destruction or damage of many Iraqi aircrafts, for no Iranian losses.
On 5th June 1985 two Saudi Arabian F-15 shot down two Iranian F-4E fighters using air-to-air missiles and they had KC-135 aerial tankers and Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS surveillance to assist them. It happened in Saudi airspace, over the gulf near the island of Al-Arabiyah, approximately 60 miles northeast of Jubail.
Iran still uses the F-4E as they still are employed to strike ISIS positions in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala from time to time. The last known one was made in 2014.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II#Iran
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II, Iranian users

During the 1960s and the 1970s, when Iran and the USA were friends, 225 McDonnell Douglas F-4D, F-4E and RF-4E Phantoms were sold to Iran and, some of them even saw some combat before the Iranian revolution when an Iranian F-4 was rammed by a Soviet MiG-21, resulting in the loss of the F-4 Phantom.
After the revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran's Air Force, kept their F-4D in service and they were used in the Iran-Iraq war, mainly on strike operations. They served with various units, the 32nd Tactical Fighter Wing, the 316th Squadron and the 71st Squadron, among others and, during the Iran-Iraq war they operated from the Hor Air Base.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II#Iran
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters