Shenyang J-6, Chinese users, part one

 

The Shenyang J-6 is the Chinese-built version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 fighter aircraft, the world's first mass-produced supersonic aircraft.

Even if the MiG-19 had a relatively short life span when serving with the Soviet Air Force, the Chinese valued its agility, turning performance and its powerful weapon arrangement. Therefore, it comes no surprise that between 1958 and 1981 they manufactured it for their own use in various versions. While the original MiG-19 has been retired from active service in practically every nation in the world, the Shenyang J-6 still flies for nine of its original 15 operators, albeit in a very limited capacity and not in the fighter role. Its airframe is the starting point for the Nanchang Q-5 ground attack aircraft which is still active in many nations around the world.

The J-6 was considered as an interim fighter until a more capable aircraft could be manufactured in China (namely, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21), so it was intended to be operated for just 100 flight hours, which are approximately 100 sorties, before having to be overhauled. However, with adequate maintenance, those numbers could be stretched, like in the case of the Pakistan Air Force, up to 130 hours.

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://www.valka.cz/Sen-jang-J-6-kod-NATO-Farmer-t42341 (translated)

Shenyang F-6, Pakistan users, part two

 

The F-6 was operated by the No.15 Squadron 'Cobras' of the No.33 Wing based at Kamra. Nos. 17 and 23 Squadrons 'Talons' also operated the type based at Samunghi Air Base, in Quetta. No.19 Air Superiority Squadron 'Phoenix', based at Masroor also employed the type. 
Practically almost every Pakistani pilot began their flying careers with the F-6 or another Chinese aircraft. In spite of not being specially sophisticated, the F-6 allowed the pilots to gain valuable jet experience before transitioning to more advanced types. 

Initially, Pakistan Air Force's (PAF) F-6s flew in natural metal colour, often with colourful squadron markings. Later, Olive drab or two tone grey or grey/green camouflage patterns were introduced, always keeping their flashy squadron markings. As an example of this, No.15 Squadron often had red/white checkered rudders and noses. 

In the late 1980s the surviving F-6s had been relegated to the advanced training role being assigned to two operational conversion units (OCU). These were the No.1 Fighter Conversion Unit (FCU) and No.14 Squadron OCU at Mianwali Air Base which was the first stop for student pilots fresh from the PAF academy at Risalpur. No.25 Squadron OCU based at Sargodha Air Base also was one of those units. In this training process, five weeks of ground training were followed by five to six months of flying training in which the trainees logged some 70-80 sorties including 30 on the FT-6 trainer. 

Sargodha also hosted the Combat Commanders School (CCS), which is at the top of training process. This unit had one F-6 squadron. However they phased it out, together with the FT-6 during the mid 1990s as they converted to the Chengdu F-7P 'Skybolt' and Guanzhou FT-7, which was a Chinese variant of the MiG-21UM trainer. 

By 1991 many of the F-6s were already been retired and replaced by the Martin/Lockheed F-16A and the Chengdu F-7P. By April 1992 two squadrons of F-6s were donated to the Bangladesh followed by some few more. According to some sources, in late 1991 a total of 80 plus F-6Cs and 15 FT-6 were still in active service with the PAF.

Sources:

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

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

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Shenyang F-6, Pakistan users, part one

 

Pakistan was one of the first export customers of the Shenyang F-6 and also the largest one as they took delivery of more than 260 units in total. 

As Pakistan clashed with India in 1964, the USA placed a weapons embargo on both countries so Pakistan that traditionally relied on the USA as a weapons supplier, faced a dilemma: Unlike India, they couldn't count on the USSR to get military assistance, so when the Chinese offered to sell the F-6 which, back then was considered as quite modern, they accepted.

In September 1965 a contract was signed and in October a group of Pakistani pilots were sent to China to overtake conversion training. The first 60 F-6s began to arrive at Sargodha Air Base, close to Faisalabad, in December 1965 and by March 1966 the delivery was completed. Those 60 machines were assigned to the Pakistani Air Force (PAF), with a further 125 late-model F-6C plus an unknown number of FT-6 trainers being delivered later from 1978 onwards at a nominal price. In fact, entire batches were set aside at Shenyang's factory to be sent to Pakistan. However, some other sources claim that, in 1965, only 40 machines were exported and 100 were sent later.

China also built an overhaul plant for the PAF's F-6 at Kamra, close to Peshawar, at no cost, which was commissioned on 8th November 1980. This plant was absolutely needed because the airframe of the F-6 had a time between overhauls (known commonly with the acronym of TBO) of just 800 hours. Hence, the fighters had to be taken back to China for overhaul at frequent intervals and, as the overhaul could take as long as two years, the PAF's combat capability was severely affected with just 40 F-6 out of service at any time, it was completely unacceptable. 

The Kamra overhaul plant also undertook some upgrade works on the F-6, integrating some Western avionics and AIM-9B/J Sidewinder air-to-air missiles when the US embargo was lifted. The missile racks for the Sidewinder missiles were set outboard of the drop tank hardpoints. An IFF blade aerial antenna was also fitted on the port side of the nose, immediately aft of the air intake. Some F-6 were also fitted with Martin-Baker Mk.10L zero-zero ejection seats, while other were fitted with a locally-designed 750 L (198 Us Gal/164 UK Gal) conformal belly tank, freeing the regular drop-tank hardpoints for additional weapons. Some Pakistani F-6 fighters also flew with non-standard drop tanks, known as Misawa tip tanks borrowed from the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star.

Sources:

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

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

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Shenyang F-6, Vietnamese users

 

The Shenyang F-6 is the export denomination that the Chinese gave to their own version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 supersonic fighter. 

During the 1960s, the North Vietnamese government was supplied with an unknown number of F-6s and FT-6 trainers by the Chinese to employ them against the American-backed South Vietnamese state.  

These fighters, when compared to the more modern MiG-21, which were active with the North Vietnam Democratic Republic Air Force (NVDRAF), were more successful than expected as the supersonic capabilities of the MiG-21 weren't as useful in combat as originally thought because aerial dogfights at the time were conducted almost entirely at sub-sonic speeds. 

The F-6 (and the MiG-19 too) was found to be more manoeuvrable than the MiG-21 and, although slower, its acceleration during dogfights was considered adequate. 

In fact, one unit of the NVDRAF was almost entirely equipped with the F-6, the 925th Fighter Regiment, from 1969 onwards. They served until late 1970s when they were replaced by more modern types.

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. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

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

Shenyang J-6, African Users

 

The Shenyang J-6/F-6 is the Chinese-built version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. 

With thousands of aircraft produced, it has been exported to various countries all around the globe, among the following ones:

• Sudan: The Sudanese Air Force had ten (or nine, depending on the source) F-6  in force by 1981. Later, presumably in the early 1990s they were joined by an unknown number of FT-6 trainers and additional F-6 fighters. Nowadays, as December 2019, twenty F-6/FT-6 are still in active service with the Sudanese Air Force.
• Tanzania: In 1973 or 1974, the Air Wing of the Tanzania People's Defence Forces received twelve Shenyang F-6 interceptors and FT-6 trainers. All of them were based at Mikumi Air Base, located 130 km (80 milles) north of Dar Es Salaam, the capital. 
  In 1978, when Uganda waged war on Tanzania, Tanzanian F-6, together with the older F-5, were tasked with engaging any possible Ugandan aircraft, which consisted on the MiG-15 and the MiG-17, while the Chengdu F-7A (the Chinese-built MiG-21) of the Tanzanian Air Force were tasked to deal with the more advanced aircraft of Uganda's allies, namely the Libyan Tupolev Tu-22 bomber.
  Nowadays, three F-6 and a single FT-6 are known to be still in active service.
• Zambia: It's known that by 1991 the Zambian Air Force had 12 F-6C in active. Nowadays, eight F-6C and two FT-6 are still in service. As we couldn't find graphical evidence of this, the drawing should be considered as speculative.

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://www.valka.cz/topic/view/187130

4. https://www.valka.cz/topic/view/187149

5. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Shenyang F-6, Albanian and American Users

The Shenyang J-6/F-6 is the Chinese-built version of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The denomination of 'J-6' is used for those machines built and serving in China, while the denomination of 'F-6' is used for the exported machines. It has been exported to various countries, among them, the following ones:

• Albania: When Albania broke diplomatic relations with the USSR in 1962, the country went into a self-imposed political isolation with China being their only ally. Therefore, in 1965, after just six years of operations, the MiG-19PMs that operated with the 7594th Fighter Regiment were shipped to China (as China wanted to know about Soviet radar technology which they couldn't acquire firsthand) and were traded back for 12 new but radarless and cannon-armed Shenyang F-6 fighters.
  Eventually, 17 F-6s were delivered some of them being, according to some sources, the Shenyang F-6C version which has a braking parachute at the base of the rudder and the JJ-6/FT-6 version which is the two-seater trainer variant.
  Albania's relationship with China also deteriorated in 1978 and, hence, spares supplies were cut off. Facing the serious problem of a total unserviceability the Albanian Air Force had to start manufacturing vital airframe components and engine parts at the Aviation Maintenance Unit in Kucovë Air Base at Berat.
  According to Euromil, the Albanian Air Force had 24 Shenyang F-6 in service in as late as 1995. However, by early 2000s they were all written off except for the FT-6 trainers.
• United States of America: There is no evidence of any Shenyang F-6 flying with the United States Air Force. However, the US Aviation Museum had an unarmed F-6A (Shenyang's equivalent to the MiG-19P) with fake markings reminiscent of the People's Liberation Army Air Force at Chino, California.
  This aircraft was later repainted mimicking the Egyptian camouflage pattern and was given Egyptian markings and codes too. 

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://www.valka.cz/Sen-jang-J-6-kod-NATO-Farmer-t42341

4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters