MiG-21

The MiG-21 Fishbed is an older Soviet interceptor, seeing extensive service in the 1960s onwards. It serves as the Pact light fighter opposite the NATO F-5E Tiger II.

In-Game Description
The Fishbed is the fastest aircraft in the game, achieved through smaller wings which exert less drag as well as greater thrust-to-weight. However, the wings have smaller surface areas, resulting in a high wing loading and reducing maneuverability. Its radar is average for PACT, reaching further than that of the Su-17 and equal to that of the MiG-29, if slightly narrower in width. It lacks any special weapons at the start, only equipped with its gun, a pair of R-60 Molniya heatseekers, and its engine. However, it can use bombs after the Bomber Loadout has been purchased; the drawback is that with both upgrades in place, it only matches the bomb payload of a non-upgraded Multirole Fighter. Its Gsh-23 gun, however, is excellent, dealing 23 damage at all times, only falling behind the Su-25 for gun power. The MiG-21 is also better suited for aerial combat, having higher turning power, an afterburner on par with that of the Su-27, and much higher speeds and thrust.

Obtaining
The MiG-21 must be unlocked by completing Race 1 in under 1 minute 25 seconds. After it has been unlocked, you can equip the MiG-21 by replacing one of the aircraft in your Deck with the MiG-21 under the Profile tab from the main menu.

Combat History
The MiG-21 entered service in 1959 in the Soviet Air Force. Although it did not see combat with that nation, it participated in a number of proxy wars with a number of Soviet-aligned countries. Soviet surface-to-air missile batteries and pilot were sent to Egypt along with export-model MiG-21s in 1970, where they participated in the waning months of the War of Attrition against Israel. North Vietnam famously employed the MiG-21 during the Vietnam War, though older MiG-17 aircraft were sometimes preferred due to their better maneuverability. India also replaced its Hawker Hunters with MiG-21s as their first supersonic jets in 1963, and has had over 1200 in service, using many of them in various wars with Pakistan. Fishbeds have also been employed by the Syrian Air Force as a part of that country's recent civil war.

Skins
There are currently 3 skins available for the MiG-21: Default, Woodland, and Desert.
 * Default: A grey monotone skin available to all players.
 * Woodland: A green two-color camouflage skin available to Patreon supporters of the Colonel tier and higher.
 * Desert: A tan two-color disruptive camouflage skin available to Patreon supporters of the Colonel tier and higher.