Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI, part eleven, Other European users

The MiG-15UTI served all across the globe, and it was also used by the following countries:

• Armenia: When the country was declared independent in 1991, some UTIs were left behind. They were incorporated into the newly created air force and were used in the Nagorno-Karabah war in the light-bomber role in 1992. All of them were presumably lost in that war. As we couldn't find graphical evidence of the type serving with the Armenian Air Force, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Bulgaria: The MiG-15UTI became the main trainer aircraft for the Bulgarian People's Army Air Force in the early 1950s when they were bought from the USSR. They served alongside other types like the Aero L-29 or the Aero L-39 until the fall of Communism in 1989 and even beyond as the type was still in active service in 1992. However, it was retired shortly after and replaced by the L-39 and the Pilatus PC-9. 
• Chechen Republic of Ichkeria: The Chechen National Guard Aviation had at least one MiG-15UTI that received the Chechen roundel. However it was destroyed on the ground during the first hours of the Chechen War in 1994. 
• Finland: In 1954 the MiG-15 was offered to Finland by the USSR, but the Finnish Air Force wasn't interested in the type, however, some years later, in 1962, as they needed an intermediate trainer before completing the transition to the MiG-21F-13, four MiG-15UTIs were ordered. In spite the UTI's good flying characteristics, the UTI didn't handle very well on ground and, as it didn't meet the demands of the Finnish Air Force, it wasn't used very much. It served until 7th February 1977 when it's last flight with the Finnish Colours took place.
• Romania: The Air Force of the People's Republic of Romania imported a total of 60 both Aero CS-102 (the Czechoslovak license-built MiG-15UTI) and MiG-15UTIs from 1953 until 1960. Given to the UTIs good flying characteristics and robustness, they were in service until 1992 making it, with more than 40 years, one of the most longeve aircraft to ever serve in the Romanian Air Force.

Sources:

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

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

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

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

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

6. https://www.ilmailumuseot.fi/tuotteet.html?id=20171/255089

7. http://www.aripi-argintii.ro/aparatdezbor.php?p=24 (translated) 

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI, part ten, Polish versions.

The MiG-15UTI was locally built in many eastern-bloc countries such as Czechoslovakia or Poland. The Polish versions were one of the most used ones as they were used from the early 1950s until nowadays where they are still used in aerial shows.
The WSK-Mielec SBLim-1 was a Polish version of the MiG-15UTI made from converted old Lim-1 (or even Czechoslovak Aero S-102 -The Czechoslovak produced MiG-15bis) fighters. They were manufactured by Lotnicze Zaklady Remontowe Nr.2 at the Polish town of Bydgoszcz, close to Warsaw. The first converted exemplar was completed in 1957 and production lasted until 1966 with approximately 280 units converted. It was powered by the Lis-1 engine (a licensed version of the Klimov RD-45F engine) which delivered 5005lb (22,26kN) of thrust and was armed with a single 23mm (0.9in) NS-23 cannon or a single 12,7mm (0,5in) A-12.7 machine gun.
It served alongside the SBLim-2 until it was gradually replaced by either the SBLim-2 itself or the PZL TS-11 Iskra as the main Polish trainer aircraft.
The SBLim-2 was the next step as it was a MiG-15UTI made either from scratch or converted from obsolete Lim-2 fighters. It was also manufactured by Lotnicze Zaklady Remontowe Nr.2 at the town of Bydgoszcz. Production started in 1966 and continued well until the 1970s with around 200 of them converted and some of them even adapted for artillery spotting duties. It was powered by the Lis-2 engine which was a licensed version of the Klimov VK-1A and could deliver a power of 5952lb of thrust (26,48kN). It differed from the regular MiG-15UTI, apart from the better engine, in being better armed as it was armed both with the NS-23 cannon and the A-12.7 machine gun. They were used by the Polish Air Force until the fall of communism both in the trainer and artillery spotter role.
One SBLim-2 was bought in 1997 by a private owner in Argentina and flew again three years later in the year 2000. Nowadays is shown (repainted) at the Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica (National Museum of Aeronautics).

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-15
2. https://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/196324
3. https://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/53631
4. http://www.muzeumlotnictwa.pl/zbiory_sz.php?ido=131&w=a
5. http://www.muzeumlotnictwa.pl/zbiory_sz.php?ido=53&w=a
6. http://www.castelar-digital.com.ar/nota.asp?id=464 (translated)

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI, part nine, Czechoslovak users and versions

The MiG-15UTI was also produced in some Eastern bloc countries. One of them was Czechoslovakia, which named them "Aero CS-102".
Back in the early 1950s an agreement was reached between the USSR and Czechoslovakia to manufacture the plane locally.
Production was undertaken by Aero Vodochody n.p. located in the town of Odolena Voda, close to Prague. Production started in July 1954 and lasted until January 1961 with 2013 exemplars having been manufactured.
It was an identical copy of the regular MiG-15UTI and therefore, it was powered by the Klimov RD-45F engine which gave 5005lb of thrust (22,26kN) and was armed with one 12.7mm (0.5in) UBK-E machine gun and could carry an additional 23mm (0.9in) NR-23 cannon placed under the nose. Additionally, it could carry up to 100 Kg (221lb) of bombs.
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI-P was a single MiG-15UTI modified by the 1.Letecká Divizní Opravna (1st Aircraft Repair Division - if google translator can be trusted) located at the town of Ceské Budejovice, in the southern Bohemian region. It was unarmed and powered by the same Klimov RD-45F engine but it was equipped with the Izumrud RP-1 radar (which also equipped the MiG-17PF). The goal was to create an trainer aircraft with radar training capabilities. However, as the Aero L-29 was already rolling out of the factory, the project was deemed as unnecesary and redundant and was, therefore, discarded.

Sources:
1. https://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/22676
2. https://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/12489
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-15

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI, part eight, Asian users part two

As we've said previously, the MiG-15UTI saw use in many countries. Among them many asiatic ones. The countries covered with this post are:

• North Korea: The North Korean Air Force (officially named "Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force) recieved some MiG-15UTIs shortly after the Korean cease-fire in 1953. Due to the isolationist profile of the country, the type has been in active service serving as their main trainer aircraft since then. Nowadays most of KPAAAF's UTIs are based at Pukch'ang airport, located at the Northwest of the country, close to the city of Kaechon. The ones there are part of the 60th Air Fighter Wing, which is part of the 1st Air Combat Division.
  There are some others serving at Orang, located at the Northeastern part of the country, close to the Russian border which are part of the 41st Air Regiment, which is part of the 8th Training Division. Interestingly enough, they served alongside old MiG-15bis which, supposedly are used as advanced trainers. Some of them are known to be based at Riwon North Airfield too. 
• Sri Lanka: During the insurgency that took the communists into power in 1971, the Bandaranaike government turned to Soviet assistance for help. They received a small number of MiG-17Fs and a single MiG-15UTI trainer. They remained in active service until the early 1980s when they were placed into long-term storage.
• North Vietnam: The MiG-15UTI was supplied by the USSR to the Vietnam's People Air Force in the mid 1960s. They served as their main trainer and also served as the trainer for most of North Vietnamese air regiments like 921st 'Sao Dao' Fighter Regiment, the 923rd Fighter Regiment, the 925th Fighter Regiment and the 910th 'Julius Fucik' Training Regiment. The ones assigned to the 921st FR, were kept busy by flying training sorties in parallel with MiG-17 and MiG-21 combat operations in 1966.
  As the ones assigned to the 923rd had no shelters to keep them from being bombarded, in 1967 they had to be painted and storaged under trees to camouflage them. It's known also that the People's Republic of China supplied four Shenyang FT-2 (the export version of the Shenyang JJ-2 trainer, which was itself a copy of the MiG-15UTI,  built in China) in February 1969 and assigned to the 925th FR which was equipped mainly with the MiG-19. Those received most of the technical attention as they were hard to maintain airworthy so the FT-2 was heavily tasked by pilots needing to build up their flying hours.

Sources:

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

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

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_People%27s_Air_Force

4. Osprey Publishing- Aircraft of the Aces 130 - MiG-17-19 Aces of the Vietnam War

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

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI, part six, Middle-East users

As happened with the African continent, the Asian continent saw the MiG-15UTI in not few occasions.
The countries covered in this post are:

• Afghanistan: The Royal Afghan Air Force had a small amount of UTIs in its inventory. Those were purchased most probably in the 1950s together with the MiG-15 and the Il-28 bomber. It's fate is unknown, but they most probably either passed on to the successor Democratic Republic of Afghanistan or were destroyed in the subsequent conflicts that took place in the country.
• Democratic Republic of Afghanistan: As expected, the bulk of the DRA's air force was composed of Soviet aircraft, among them there was the UTI. They saw combat during the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan supporting Soviet troops by flying reconnaissance flights or performing low-level light-attack missions.
• Iraq: After the king of Iraq was overthrown, the Iraqi Air Force switched to Soviet equipment. Among the supplied equipment there was a small number of UTIs that served as the country's main trainer. They served alongside the Aero L-29 until they were both replaced by the Aero L-39.
• South Yemen: Apparently some UTIs were exported to South Yemen, most probably during the late 1960s from Egypt. They were either destroyed or captured by North Yemen's troops.
• Syria: In 1955 Syria ordered, among others, 4 MiG-15UTIs from Czechoslovakia in an operation codenamed as 'Operation 104'. During the course of the Suez Crisis in late October 1956, three MiG-15UTIs were evacuated to Syria via Saudia Arabia and Jordan. The MiG-15UTI replaced the propeller-driven North American AT-6 Harvard and the UTI was subsequently replaced by the Aero L-39 in the 1970s.
• North Yemen: The Arab Republic of Yemen had the MiG-15UTI as some of them were purchased by the Royalist imanate in the 1960s. It's unknown for how much time they served and they were, most probably destroyed or scrapped.

Sources:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI, part five, African and American users.

As we've written previously, the MiG-15UTI was widely used across the African continent and that's not counting its Chinese copy, the Shenyang JJ-2/FT-2. On the other hand, the only American user of the UTI was Cuba.
The countries covered in this post are:

• Nigeria: The MiG-15UTIs arrived on to Nigeria in August 1967 from Egypt. They were used in the Nigerian Civil War (AKA Biafran conflict) and later in the 1970s were replaced in the training role by the Czechoslovak Aero L-29.
• Somalia: Back in the 1960s, the Somalian Air Force switched to Soviet material and advisors which were mainly Cuban. Therefore they received four MiG-15UTIs (some sources claiming they were the Shenyang FT-2) in order to train their pilots in the piloting of jet fighters. They took part in the Ogaden War in 1977 and soon after the chaos the country entered in, they left to decay. Some of them were found by US Rangers and Delta forces when they operated in the country in 1992.
• Uganda: The Ugandan People's Defence Air Force employed the MiG-15UTI since its foundation back in 1964. They operated from its capital, as the main trainer aircraft, and were used until they were replaced by the Aero L-29 in the mid-to-late 1970s. 
• Cuba: The MiG-15UTI was the main trainer aircraft of the Cuban Air Force, specially from 1959 onwards when they switched to Soviet equipment. The first aircrafts arrived in Cuba in 1962 making it the main trainer. They had quite a long career sine they kept on serving on that role until 1981 when they were replaced by the Czechoslovak Aero L-39.

Sources:

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

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

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

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda_People%27s_Defence_Force

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

6. http://www.urrib2000.narod.ru/EqMiG15.html (translated)

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI, part four, African users

The MiG-15UTI served also in many African countries. Those are:

• Angola: When the Angolan Air Force was established in 1975 it was equipped with Soviet equipment and trained by Cuban pilots. Among the material supplied by the Soviet bloc there was a batch of MiG-15UTI trainers that were used both for training pilots and recon missions against South African and UNITA forces in the context of the Angolan Civil War. The UTIs continue to serve nowadays, together with other trainers, with the Angolan 9th Training Squadron which is part of the 24th Training Regiment, based at Menongue Air Base.
• Congo-Brazzaville: After achieving independence in the 1960s, and undergoing a revolution, in the 1970s the Congo-Brazzaville Air Force decided to switch to Soviet equipment. Among that new supplied aircrafts there were a number of MiG-15UTIs that served in the FAC (Force Aérienne Congolaise) and, during the late 1990s it's known that many of them, due to the Congolese Civil War, were in derelict condition.
• Guinea-Bissau: After achieving independence, the air force was equipped (as initially they just had three North-American T-6Gs) with limited Soviet material, among them, two MiG-15UTIs. They served until 1991 when they were put in storage condition at the hangars of the Osvaldo Vieira International Airport due to the lack of funds.
• Guinea-Conakry: After achieving independence, the air force was established with Soviet assistance in 1961. Just like Bissau, they got two MiG-15UTIs together with other Soviet aircrafts. They were most probably retired from service and/or scrapped in the 1980s when their air force underwent a small modernization process.
• Madagascar: The Madagascar Air Force received a small number of UTIs when their air force was founded. Not much is known about their usage, but most probably they haven't been used a lot. As the information about these UTIs is rather scarce, the drawing should be taken as speculative.
• Mali: During the mid 1960s the Soviets supplied a single MiG-15UTI to the newly founded Mali Air Force. It was used to train pilots in the usage of the MiG-17F which just had 5 of them. They served well until the 1990s when the air force was somewhat modernized.
• Mozambique: Apparently, the Mozambican Air Force got some ex East-German UTIs shortly after their independence. They were used during the Mozambican Civil War during the 1980s and most of them were probably destroyed. 

Sources:

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

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angolan_People%27s_Air_Force_And_Air_Defence_Force

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

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People’s_Republic_of_Congo_Air_Force

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

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea-Bissau_Air_Force

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

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

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

10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozambique_Air_Force

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-15UTI, part two, East German and Hungarian users

The Mikoyan MiG-15UTI was a Soviet trainer variant of the regular MiG-15. It had a modified cockpit to fit both instructor and student.
It was mass-manufactured and was the backbone of many air forces around the world, specially those in the Soviet sphere of influence and Warsaw Pact countries.
In this post we're going to cover just two countries: East Germany and Hungary.

• East Germany: In 1956 when the Luftstreitkräfte der Nationalen Volksarmee (Air Component of the National People's Army - East German Air Force) was created, they received a batch of MiG-15UTIs which was assigned to the Jagbombergeschwader JBG-31 among other fighter units. They served as their main jet trainer, together with other types like the Czechoslovak Aero L-29, from 1956 until the dissolution of the NVA (Nationale Volksarmee - National People's Army) in 1990. It was inherited by the West German Luftwaffe in that same year and, as it was already an obsolete type, most of them were scrapped or sold. One exemplar was repainted and sent to the Luftwaffe's Museum in Berlin where it's shown nowadays.
• Hungary: The Air Force of the Hungarian People's Army was completely modified in the 1950s to make it transition into the jet age as they were equipped with outdated propeller-fighters and bombers. As, in order to make the pilots meet the new jet fighters, they needed a trainer, the MiG-15UTI was supplied by the USSR. It served as the main trainer type until the fall of Eastern-bloc in the early 1990s, together with the Aero L-29 and, later the Aero L-39.

Sources:

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

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Forces_of_the_National_People%27s_Army

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Air_Force#Post–World_War_II_to_Present

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI, part one

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI was the two-seat trainer variant of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis. It has been regarded as one of the most successful jet-trainer aircraft of all time and, with almost 5500 exemplars having built it's also one of the most produced aircrafts in history.
It was designed by Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB (which stands for "design bureau") and flew for the first time on 27th June 1949. It was produced from 1950 until 1959, just in Soviet factories and, the licensed variants like the Czechoslovak Aero CS-102 ,the Chinese Shenyang JJ-2/FT-2 or the Polish WSK-Mielec SB Lim-1 and Lim2 were still under production as late as 1958 and, in the Chinese case most probably until early-to-mid 1960s. The first factory to produce the UTI variant was the Kuybyshev Aircraft Factory No.1 "Stalin", located at Kuybyshev which manufactured the UTI from 1950 until 1953 which, manufactured 881 exemplars. The second factory to manufacture it was Ulan-Ude's Aircraft Factory No.99, in Ulan-Ude. This one, with 1117 exemplars manufactured from 1951 until 1959 has the record of being the one that most MiG-15UTIs manufactured. The third factory to manufacture it was Kharkov's Aircraft Factory No. 135, in Kharkov which produced 511 of them from 1950 until 1954 and the fourth factory to manufacture it was Novosibirsk's Aircraft Factory No.153, in Novosibirsk which made 924 exemplars making it the second most productive one.
Just like the regular Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, the UTI version was powered by a single Klimov RD-45F which delivered a thrust power of 5005lb (22.26KN), had an internal fuel tank of 1080L (238 imp. gal. or 250 US gal.) with the possibility of carrying two additional external fuel tanks on the wings with a capacity of 400L (88imp. gal, 106 US gal.) each. It was armed with a single 12,7mm (0,5in) UBK-machine gun placed under the nose and could also mount a single 23mm NR-23 cannon also under the nose. It had also hardpoints to carry either two 50kg (110lb) or 100kg (221lb) bombs underwings.
Due to its high success and popularity, it was quickly adopted as the VVS main trainer and remained in that role until the fall of the USSR in 1992 and, some of the ex-Soviet republics still kept it in active combat service during the conflicts of the 1990s. At VVS's command was used not only in the trainer role but also in the recon role during the 1960s (and more exactly to watch the Czechoslovak-German border during the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia, AKA the Prague Spring) and the type became famous because the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, was killed in a crash during a training flight in a MiG-15UTI due to poor visibility.
A sub-variant, the MiG-15UTI-P was a single prototype designed in Czechoslovakia by the "1st Aviation Repair Division" (translation not 100% precise) in 1957 which was unarmed but was equipped with a Izumrud RP-1 radar mounted in the nose (which was the same radar type the MiG-17PF had) and was intended to train pilots in the usage of airborne radar. However it wasn't accepted into production as there was already another type covering that need.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-15
2. https://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/22676
3. https://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/12489