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The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-19;
NATO reporting name NATO reporting names are code names for military equipment from Russia, China, and historically, the Eastern Bloc (Soviet Union and other nations of the Warsaw Pact). They provide unambiguous and easily understood English words in a uniform man ...
: Farmer) is a
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
second generation, single-seat,
twinjet A twinjet or twin-engine jet is a jet aircraft powered by two engines. A twinjet is able to fly well enough to land with a single working engine, making it safer than a single-engine aircraft in the event of failure of an engine. Fuel efficien ...
fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield ...
, the world's first mass-produced supersonic aircraft. It was the first Soviet production aircraft capable of
supersonic Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound ( Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...
speeds in level flight. A comparable U.S. " Century Series" fighter was the
North American F-100 Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard (ANG) until 1979. The first of the Century Series of ...
, although the MiG-19 primarily fought against the more modern
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and B ...
and
Republic F-105 Thunderchief The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American supersonic fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Viet ...
over North Vietnam. This aircraft was originally used by the Soviet Union but it was later used by the People's Liberation Army Air Force.


Design and development

In 1950 the Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) design bureau (also known as OKB-155) began work on a new fighter aircraft, intended to have a greater range than the existing MiG-15 and MiG-17 aircraft, and capable of reaching
supersonic Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound ( Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...
speeds in level flight. MiG chose to use two of the new Mikulin AM-5 axial jet engines (a scaled-down version of the Mikulin AM-3 that powered the Tupolev Tu-16 bomber) for its new fighter.Belyakov and Marmain 1994, p. 180.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, p. 124. As a test bed for the new engine, OKB-155 was authorised on 20 April 1951 to convert one of the prototype MiG-17s, replacing the single
Klimov VK-1 The Klimov VK-1 was the first Soviet jet engine to see significant production. It was developed by and first produced by the GAZ 116 works. Derived from the Rolls-Royce Nene, the engine was also built under licence in China as the Wopen WP-5. ...
engine with two AM-5s (later replaced by AM-5As), with the testbed, designated SM-1 (or I-340), flying late in 1951. While the SM-1 was a useful testbed, its performance was less than expected, and first resulted in an
afterburner An afterburner (or reheat in British English) is an additional combustion component used on some jet engines, mostly those on military supersonic aircraft. Its purpose is to increase thrust, usually for supersonic flight, takeoff, and c ...
being designed for the AM-5, resulting in the AM-5F (reaching with reheat).Belyakov and Marmain 1994, pp. 180–181. While the SM-1 was a test bed, the SM-2 (or I-360) was intended as the required supersonic escort fighter, with work authorised on 10 August 1951. The SM-2 was a twin-engined, mid-winged aircraft. Its thin wings, which had been designed at TsAGI, the Soviet Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute, for supersonic flight were swept back at an angle of 55 degrees and had a single
wing fence Wing fences, also known as boundary layer fences and potential fences are fixed aerodynamic devices attached to aircraft wings. Often seen on swept-wing aircraft, wing fences are flat plates fixed to the upper surfaces parallel to the wing ch ...
on each side. Unusually, a
T-tail A T-tail is an empennage configuration in which the tailplane is mounted to the top of the fin. The arrangement looks like the capital letter T, hence the name. The T-tail differs from the standard configuration in which the tailplane is ...
was fitted. Armament was two Nudelman N-37 37-mm cannon located in the leading edge of the aircraft's wings, near the wing roots - the guns had been moved compared to those in the MiG-15 and -17 to avoid ingestion of gun blast gases causing surging of the aircraft's engines. The first SM-2, the SM-2/1 was sent to the ''
Letno-Issledovatel'skiy Institut The Gromov Flight Research Institute or GFRI for short (russian: link=no, Лётно-исследовательский институт имени М. М. Громова, russian: link=no, ЛИИ) is an important Russian State Researc ...
'' (en:flight research institute) (LII) in April 1952 for testing, and was flown for the first time on 24 May 1952, with test pilot G. A. Sedov at the aircraft's controls.Belyakov and Marmain 1994, p. 208. With the un-reheated AM-5A engines, the SM-2 could not exceed the speed of sound in level flight, so reheated AM-5F engines were substituted. While the new engines improved performance, the aircraft was found to have handling problems, particularly at high
angles of attack In fluid dynamics, angle of attack (AOA, α, or \alpha) is the angle between a reference line on a body (often the chord line of an airfoil) and the vector representing the relative motion between the body and the fluid through which it is ...
, where the aircraft was prone to spinning. To solve these problems the aircraft's horizontal tail was lowered, with other changes including moving the aircraft's airbrakes and deepening the wing fences, with the modifications causing the aircraft to be redesignated SM-2A and then SM-2B.Belyakov and Marmain 1994, pp. 208, 210.Gunston 1995, p. 195. The AM-5F still generated inadequate thrust and so the Mikulin engine design bureau developed a new engine to replace it, the AM-9B (later re-designed the
Tumansky RD-9 The Tumansky RD-9 (initially designated Mikulin AM-5) was an early Soviet turbojet engine, not based on pre-existing German or British designs. The AM-5, developed by scaling down the AM-3, was available in 1952 and completed testing in 1953; ...
), rated at dry and with reheat. When fitted with the new engines, the SM-2B became the SM-9, first flying in this form on 5 January 1954. The SM-9's performance impressed the Soviet authorities, and it was ordered into production as the MiG-19 on 17 February 1954, despite the fact that factory testing had only just started.Belyakov and Marmain 1994, pp. 212–213, 215.Gunston 1995, pp. 196–197.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, p. 125. The rush to get the MiG-19 into service resulted in initial production aircraft having a number of serious problems. The type suffered a number of in-flight explosions, eventually traced to poor insulation between the aircraft's engines and fuel tanks in the rear fuselage - overheating of these tanks could cause fuel explosions. This was eventually partly solved by fitting a metal heat shield between the engines and the tanks.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, p. 129. The aircraft's elevators proved ineffective at supersonic speeds, and an all-moving slab tail was tested by the second and third SM-9 prototypes, and later included in the major production type, the MiG-19S, which also featured an improved armament.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, pp. 127, 130. At the same time that the daylight escort fighter was developed from the SM-2 and SM-9 into the MiG-19 and MiG-19S, work went on in parallel to design and build a radar-equipped all-weather fighter, with the first prototype SM-7/1 flying for the first time on 28 August 1954. This prototype had a similar airframe to the first SM-9, including the conventional fixed horizontal tail, with the second and third SM-7s introducing similar changes to those tested on the SM-9 prototypes, including the slab tail.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, pp. 134–135. The all weather fighter entered production as the MiG-19P in 1955. Major differences from the MiG-19S included RP-1 ''Izumrud'' radar in the aircraft's nose, with small radomes in the centre and on the top lip of the air intake and an armament of two cannon in the aircraft's wing roots. From 1957, production of all weather fighters switched to the missile equipped MiG-19PM, with an armament of four K-5M air-to-air missiles, with the cannon removed. In 1955, following American introduction of high-altitude reconnaissance balloons and overflights by British
Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
aircraft, which could not be intercepted by existing aircraft, together with intelligence reports of the development of the
Lockheed U-2 The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "''Dragon Lady''", is an American single- jet engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It provides d ...
with an even greater ceiling, development began on a specialist high-altitude version of the MiG-19, the MiG-19SV, which entered limited production. This had more powerful engines and was lightened, with seatback armour and one of the guns removed, while flap settings were adjusted to give greater lift at higher altitudes and a new pressure suit was introduced. These changes increased the aircraft's ceiling from to .Belyakov and Marmain 1994, pp. 225–227.Gunston 1995, pp. 197–198. The prototype MiG-19SV was further modified (as the MiG-19SVK) with increased wingspan, giving a ceiling of , but this was still inadequate to deal with the U-2, and effort was switched to adding rocket boosters.


Operational history


Soviet Union

Deliveries of the new fighter to the
Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
(VVS) began in June 1955, with the type being publicly unveiled on 3 July that year, when 48 MiG-19s took part in a flypast during an airshow at Tushino Airfield,
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. During their service with
Soviet Anti-Air Defense The Soviet Air Defence Forces (russian: войска ПВО, ''voyska protivovozdushnoy oborony'', ''voyska PVO'', ''V-PVO'', lit. ''Anti-Air Defence Troops''; and formerly ''protivovozdushnaya oborona strany'', ''PVO strany'', lit. ''Anti-Air De ...
and in
East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In t ...
, MiG-19s were involved in multiple interceptions of Western reconnaissance aircraft. The first documented encounter with a
Lockheed U-2 The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "''Dragon Lady''", is an American single- jet engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It provides d ...
took place in the autumn of 1957. The MiG-19 pilot reported seeing the aircraft, but could not make up the difference in altitude. When
Francis Gary Powers Francis Gary Powers (August 17, 1929 – August 1, 1977) was an American pilot whose Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Lockheed U-2 spy plane was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission in Soviet Union airspace, causing the 1960 U-2 in ...
's U-2 was shot down in the 1960
incident Incident may refer to: * A property of a graph in graph theory * ''Incident'' (film), a 1948 film noir * Incident (festival), a cultural festival of The National Institute of Technology in Surathkal, Karnataka, India * Incident (Scientology), a ...
, one pursuing MiG-19P was also hit by the salvo of
S-75 Dvina The S-75 (Russian: С-75; NATO reporting name SA-2 Guideline) is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude air defence system, built around a surface-to-air missile with command guidance. Following its first deployment in 1957 it became one of the most w ...
( NATO: SA-2 "Guideline") missiles, killing the pilot Sergei Safronov.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, p. 117. In a highly controversial incident, on 1 July 1960, a MiG-19 shot down an RB-47H (S/N 53-4281) reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace over the
Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at ...
with four of the crew killed and two captured by the Soviets (they were released in 1961). In another incident, on 28 January 1964, a MiG-19 shot down a T-39 Sabreliner which had strayed into East German airspace while on a training mission; all three crewmembers were killed.


East Asia


China

The first use and loss of a U.S. fighter to a MiG-19 (J-6) was in 1965 when a USAF
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, supersonic air superiority fighter which was extensively deployed as a fighter-bomber during the Cold War. Created as a day fighter by Lockheed as one of the "Century Series" of fi ...
piloted by Captain Philip E. Smith was attacked by a PLAAF aircraft over
Hainan Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slightly l ...
Island. His Starfighter took cannon fire which damaged a portion of his wing and missile mount. Smith gave chase and did receive missile tone on the MiG but, within a millisecond of pressing his missile firing button, his Starfighter lost all power. He ejected and was captured. Smith was held prisoner until released on 15 March 1973, due to improving US-China relations following U.S. President
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
's visit to China in 1972.


Vietnam

The Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) began receiving the MiG-19 at the end of Operation Rolling Thunder, which ended in 1968. Despite their limited numbers, MiG-19s were involved in extensive combat during Operations
Linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
and Linebacker 2. The VPAF claimed seven victories over U.S. aircraft using the MiG-19, all of which were F-4 Phantom IIs.Toperczer 2001, p. 90. The MiG-19 was tested by U.S. pilots in the United States in 1969 after receiving an F-6 (J-6 export model) from
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. In addition to finding the aircraft to have a good canopy allowing good visibility for the pilot, along with three hard-hitting 30mm cannons, U.S. pilots found the MiG-19 (J-6/F-6) to be an excellent fighter, "like the MiG-17, it could easily out-turn the Phantom...and could out-accelerate the F-4 out to Mach 1.2, but was slower than the
MiG-21 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nickn ...
.". However, the MiG-19's strongest fault was its extremely short range, as one U.S. test pilot remarked, "after going in full after-burner at low altitude for five minutes, the MiG driver will be looking for a place to land!" This, combined with the aircraft's twin engines, which were difficult to maintain, made the MiG-19 unpopular with North Vietnamese pilots. The
North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...
ese government decided in early 1969 to strengthen its air defenses by creating a third jet fighter unit; the 925th Fighter Regiment. This unit would consist of late model MiG-17s and the newly acquired MiG-19s (nearly all of which were Shenyang J-6s from the People's Republic of China (PRC)). The regiment was established at
Yen Bai The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar (US$) and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and the e ...
, and by April 1969, nine combat-rated MiG-19 pilots were posted for combat duty. While some of North Vietnam's MiG-17s and all of their MiG-21s were supplied by the Soviet Union, the MiG-19s (J-6 models) were supplied by the PRC, which seldom exceeded 54 MiG-19s in number. The MiG-19 lacked mounts for air-to-air missiles but it had the one advantage over the early model F-4 Phantom II: it was armed with cannons. VPAF MiG-19s had three 30 mm cannons which "were notable for their large muzzle flash" when fired. The aircraft were loaded with 90 rounds per cannon, giving approximately six seconds of firing time. A single two second burst of 90 shells could impact a US aircraft with of metal. This contrasted to a U.S. 20 mm cannon such as the
M61 Vulcan The M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically, electrically, or pneumatically driven, six- barrel, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires rounds at an extremely high rate (typically 6,000 rounds per minute). The M61 and i ...
which would deliver of metal. US sources claim that 10 VPAF MiG-19s were lost in aerial combat. On 2 June 1972 a MiG-19 was the first recorded jet fighter to be shot down in aerial combat by cannon fire at supersonic speeds, by a USAF F-4 Phantom flown by Phil Handley. According to the VPAF, from 1965 to 1972, North Vietnamese MiG-19s shot down 13 enemy aircraft and helicopters, while five MiG-19s were lost (four shot down by enemy aircraft and one by friendly fire) and one pilot was killed.


Air-to-air victories

The following are Chinese and Vietnamese air-to-air kills, confirmed by US sources; all were achieved with 30 mm cannon shells.


Middle East


Egypt

One of the first Egyptian MiG-19 units was the 15th Air Brigade, consisting of Nos 20 and 21 Squadrons, which became operational at Fayid with a forward location at Milayz in the early 1960s. In 1962, Egyptian MiG-19s saw some action in the ground-attack role during the North Yemen Civil War. The first reported air combat in the Middle East with the MiG-19 happened on 29 November 1966 when an
Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defens ...
(IAF) Dassault Mirage III shot down two Egyptian MiG-19s which were trying to intercept an Israeli reconnaissance Piper J-3 Cub in Israeli airspace. The first MiG was destroyed with a R.530 radar-guided missile fired from less than a mile away, marking the first aerial kill for the French-made missile. The second MiG-19 was dispatched with cannon fire. Around 80 MiG-19s were in service with Egypt during the
Six-Day War The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab states (primarily Egypt, Syria, and Jordan) from 5 to 10 ...
in June 1967, but more than half of them were destroyed on the ground during the opening Israeli airstrikes of
Operation Focus Operation Focus ( he, מבצע מוקד, ''Mivtza Moked'') was the opening airstrike by Israel at the start of the Six-Day War in 1967. It is sometimes referred to as the "Sinai Air Strike". At 07:45 on 5 June 1967, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) u ...
. Israeli pilots, however, did find the MiG-19 a potentially dangerous adversary because of its performance, maneuverability, and heavy armament. Following the war, the Egyptians reorganized their surviving MiG-19 fleet, and assigned them to the air defense of Egypt's interior. The Soviet Union did not supply Egypt with any additional MiG-19s as replacements for those destroyed in the Six-Day War, but Egypt might have received some from Syria and Iraq, so that by the end of 1968 there were more than 80 MiG-19s in service with the
Egyptian Air Force The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية المصرية, El Qūwāt El Gawīyä El Maṣrīya), is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces that is responsible for all airborne defence missions and operates all mili ...
. The aircraft also saw combat during the
War of Attrition The War of Attrition ( ar, حرب الاستنزاف, Ḥarb al-Istinzāf; he, מלחמת ההתשה, Milhemet haHatashah) involved fighting between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and their allies fro ...
; in one engagement on 19 May 1969, a MiG-19 engaged two Israeli Mirages, shooting down one with cannon fire while the other escaped. Egypt had around 60 MiG-19s in service during the
Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by E ...
of 1973 in which they served as close air support aircraft.


Iraq

Iraq obtained some MiG-19S fighters in the early 1960s, but later sold most of them (a couple remaining in local museums), though a few remaining airframes did see some action against the Kurds in the 1960s.


Syria

The
Syrian Air Force ) , mascot = , anniversaries = 16 October , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = * 1948 Arab-Israeli War * Six-Day War * Yom Kippur War * ...
used Mig-19s in the Yemen War.


North Korea

North Korea received an unknown number of MiG-19S from the Soviet Union following the signing of a mutual assistance treaty in 1961. Thirty of these aircraft may have been sold to Iraq in 1983. At least 100 F-6s were acquired from China in 1988–89. As of April 2002, the Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force was reportedly operating about 100 Shenyang J-6 and/or MiG 19s.


Variants


Production aircraft designations

''Data from:'': ;MiG-19 (
NATO reporting name NATO reporting names are code names for military equipment from Russia, China, and historically, the Eastern Bloc (Soviet Union and other nations of the Warsaw Pact). They provide unambiguous and easily understood English words in a uniform man ...
- "Farmer-A"; OKB- SM-9/1)"Modifications."
''OKB MiG Design Bureau (Unofficial reference website).'' Retrieved: 21 July 2011.
:First production version. Conventional tail assembly with elevators attached to fixed horizontal stabiliser and armed with three 23 mm
NR-23 The Nudelman-Richter NR-23 is a Soviet autocannon widely used in military aircraft of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact. It was designed by A. E. Nudelman and A. A. Richter to replace the wartime Nudelman-Suranov NS-23 and Volkov-Yartsev VYa-23, ...
cannon.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, pp. 129–130. ;MiG-19P (NATO - "Farmer-B"; OKB - SM-7) :Version equipped with RP-1 ''Izumrud'' radar in the nose and armed with two 23 mm
NR-23 The Nudelman-Richter NR-23 is a Soviet autocannon widely used in military aircraft of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact. It was designed by A. E. Nudelman and A. A. Richter to replace the wartime Nudelman-Suranov NS-23 and Volkov-Yartsev VYa-23, ...
(later two 30 mm
NR-30 The Nudelman-Rikhter NR-30 was a Soviet autocannon widely used in military aircraft of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact. It was designed by A.E. Nudelman and A. A. Rikhter, entering service in 1954. Description Prior to the introduction of the ...
) cannons in the wings. Had provision for an unguided rocket pack under each wing, elongated tailfin fillet, all-moving tailplane, third airbrake added behind the ventral fin.
Vympel K-13 The Vympel K-13 (NATO reporting name: AA-2 "Atoll") is a short-range, infrared homing air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union. It is similar in appearance and function to the American AIM-9B Sidewinder from which it was reverse-engineer ...
(AA-2 'Atoll')
air-to-air missile The newest and the oldest member of Rafael's Python family of AAM for comparisons, Python-5 (displayed lower-front) and Shafrir-1 (upper-back) An air-to-air missile (AAM) is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying a ...
(AAM) capability was added late in its service life; entered production in 1955.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, pp. 135–136. ;MiG-19PF :Single-seat radar-equipped, all-weather interceptor fighter aircraft; built in small numbers. ;MiG-19PG :MiG-19P equipped with the ''Gorizont-1'' ground control datalink.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, p. 136. ;MiG-19PM (NATO - "Farmer-E") :Variant with removed cannons, armed with four
Kaliningrad K-5 The Kaliningrad K-5 (NATO reporting name AA-1 ''Alkali''), also known as RS-1U or product ShM, was an early Soviet air-to-air missile. History The development of the K-5 began in 1951. The first test firings were in 1953. It was tested (but not ...
M (NATO: AA-1 "Alkali") beam-riding missiles. Entered production in 1957.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, pp. 137–138. ;MiG-19PML :MiG-19PM with ''Lazur'' ground control datalink.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, p. 138. ;MiG-19PU :Rocket pack fit similar to MiG-19SU.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, p. 143. ;MiG-19PT :A single MiG-19P equipped to carry
Vympel K-13 The Vympel K-13 (NATO reporting name: AA-2 "Atoll") is a short-range, infrared homing air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union. It is similar in appearance and function to the American AIM-9B Sidewinder from which it was reverse-engineer ...
(NATO: AA-2 "Atoll") missiles. ;MiG-19PU ;MiG-19R :Reconnaissance version of the MiG-19S with cameras replacing the nose cannon and powered by uprated RD-9BF-1 engines.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, p. 130. ;MiG-19S (NATO - "Farmer-C"; OKB - SM-9/3)Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, pp. 130–132. :Improved day fighter with all-moving slab tail. Equipped with ''Svod'' long-range navigation receiver and armed with three 30 mm
NR-30 The Nudelman-Rikhter NR-30 was a Soviet autocannon widely used in military aircraft of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact. It was designed by A.E. Nudelman and A. A. Rikhter, entering service in 1954. Description Prior to the introduction of the ...
cannons. Had provisions for an ORO-32K rocket unguided rocket pack or a FAB-250 bomb under each wing, and from 1957 modified to allow four rocket pods to be carried. Entered production in 1956. ;MiG-19SF :Late production MiG-19S powered by the same uprated RD-9BF-1 engines as the MiG-19R.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, p. 134. ;MiG-19SV :High-altitude version for intercepting reconnaissance balloons, reached on 6 December 1956.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, pp. 132–133. ;MiG-19SMK :two missile guidance testbeds for the
K-10S The Raduga K-10S (NATO reporting name: AS-2 Kipper) was a Soviet supersonic anti-ship missile that was usually nuclear-armed, designed by MKB Raduga. Its development began in 1955, and it entered service with the Soviet armed forces in 1961. The Ki ...
cruise missile system. ;MiG-19SVK :MiG-19SV with a new wing, small increase in altitude above MiG-19SV; did not warrant production.Gordon ''Wings of Fame'' 1997, p. 133. ;MiG-19SU (OKB SM-50) :High-altitude version to intercept the Lockheed U-2, equipped with a self-contained liquid-fuel booster rocket pack; appears to have been abandoned because of inability to control the aircraft at very high altitudes and the aircraft's tendency to enter supersonic spins. ;MiG-19M :Target drones converted from the MiG-19 and MiG-19S (M- ''mishen - target.) ;SL-19: A research aircraft modified from a MiG-19 with a variable track / skid-base skid undercarriage (SL- ''samolyot-laboatoriya'' - aircraft laboratory). ;M-19:an alternative designation for the MiG-19M ;M-19M:an alternative designation for the MiG-19M


OKB designations

;SM-6 :Two MiG-19Ps converted to flying laboratories for testing the Grushin K-6 developmental AAM (intended for the Sukhoi T-3 jet fighter) and ''Almaz-3'' radar. ;SM-7 :Three prototypes of the MiG-19P all-weather interceptor, (SM-7/1, SM-7/2 and SM-7/3), built concurrently with the SM-9 prototypes, exhibiting all the same failings. ;SM-9/1 :first prototype of the MiG-19 series, developed from the SM-2. ;Sm-9/2 : prototype of the initial MiG-19 production series. ;Sm-9/3 : prototype of the tactical fighter MiG-19S production series. ;Sm-9/9 : projected tactical nuclear strike version, abandoned due to poor performance estimates with the weapon loaded ;SM-12 :New fighter prototype, developed into the
MiG-21 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nickn ...
; four aircraft built. ;SM-20 :Missile simulator for testing the Kh-20 (NATO: AS-3 "Kangaroo")
cruise missile A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warh ...
. ;SM-30 : Zero-length launch (ZeLL) version with PRD-22R short-duration burn booster rocket. ;SM-50: :High-altitude version (MiG-19SU) to intercept the Lockheed U-2, equipped with a self-contained liquid-fuel booster rocket pack; appears to have been abandoned because of inability to control the aircraft at very high altitudes and the aircraft's tendency to enter supersonic spins. ;SM-51:High-altitude experimental version, (MiG-19PU), fitted with a U-19 booster rocket. ;SM-52:High-altitude experimental version, (MiG-19PU), fitted with a Sevrook re-usable booster rocket. ;SM-K :Missile simulator for testing the Raduga K-10 (NATO: AS-2 "Kipper")
cruise missile A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warh ...
.


''izdeliye'' designations

;''izdeliye 59'':internal GAZ-21 (Gor'kiy) designation of the MiG-19 initial production series. ;''izdeliye 25'':internal GAZ-153 (Novosibirsk) designation of the MiG-19 initial production series. ;''izdeliye 61'':internal GAZ-21 (Gor'kiy) designation of the MiG-19S production series. ;''izdeliye 62'':internal GAZ-21 (Gor'kiy) designation of the MiG-19P production all-weather interceptor. ;''izdeliye 26'':internal GAZ-153 (Novosibirsk) designation of the MiG-19S production series. ;''izdeliye 61'':internal GAZ-21 (Gor'kiy) designation of the SM-12PMU ;''izdeliye SM-2/A'': a weapon system development MiG-19 for ground attack weapons. ;''izdeliye SM-2/B'': a weapon system development MiG-19 for ground attack weapons. ;''izdeliye SM-2/G'': a weapons test-bed for ARS-160 HVARs, discontinued when the SM-2/G was almost complete. ;''izdeliye SM-2/I'': a weapons test-bed for the K-6 air-to-air missile. ;''izdeliye SM-2/M'': a weapons test-bed for the K-5M (RS-2-U) air-air missile. ;''izdeliye SM-2/V'': a weapon system development aircraft for ground attack weapons, converted from the ''izdeliye SM-2/B''. ;''izdeliye SM-6'': a weapons test-bed for the K-6 air-air missile. ;''izdeliye SM-9K'':possible alternative designation for the ''izdeliye SM-30'' ;''izdeliye SM-9R'':OKB designation for the MiG-19R tactical reconnaissance aircraft. ;''izdeliye SM-9V'':OKB designation for the MiG-19SV high altitude interceptor prototypes with MiG-19 rear fuselage / tail unit. ;''izdeliye SM-9V/3-V'':OKB designation for the MiG-19SV high altitude interceptor with MiG-19S rear fuselage / tail unit. ;''izdeliye SM-9V/3-VK'':OKB designation for the MiG-19SVK experimental high altitude interceptor. ;''izdeliye delta SM-9'':weapons aiming testing with the ASP-5N computing gunsight and SRD-1 gun ranging radar. ;''izdeliye SM-9/3T'':a MiG-19S modified to test the K-13 / R-3S (NATO - AA-2 Atoll). ;''izdeliye SM-7'':the SM-7 all-weather interceptor prototypes. ;''izdeliye SM-7/3'':the MiG-19P production all-weather interceptor. ;''izdeliye SM-7A'':OKB designation for a MiG-19P weapons test-bed with gun armament. ;''izdeliye SM-7M'':OKB designation for a MiG-19P weapons test-bed with missile armament. ;''izdeliye SM-7/1M'': the first SM-7 prototype modified with the K-5M missile system to be fitted in the MiG-19PM. ;''izdeliye SM-7/2M'': the second SM-7 prototype and five MiG-19P aircraft modified with the K-5M missile system to be fitted in the MiG-19PM. ;''izdeliye 65'':internal GAZ-21 (Gor'kiy) designation of the MiG-19PM production series. ;''izdeliye SM-7/2T'':A single MiG-19P equipped to carry
Vympel K-13 The Vympel K-13 (NATO reporting name: AA-2 "Atoll") is a short-range, infrared homing air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union. It is similar in appearance and function to the American AIM-9B Sidewinder from which it was reverse-engineer ...
(NATO: AA-2 "Atoll") missiles as the MiG-19PT. ;''izdeliye SM-9D'':possible alternative designation for the ''izdeliye SM-10''. ;''izdeliye SM-10'': an in-flight refuelling test-bed aircraft using the wing-tip to wingtip hose system. ;''izdeliye SM-11'': a projected version of the MiG-19S fitted with a Yastreb-SIV-52 infra-red search and track system. ;''izdeliye SM-12'':prototypes fitted with extended nose and new intake system from the Ye-2A and Ye-5 research aircraft. ;''izdeliye SM-12/3T'':the third SM-12 prototype modified to carry K-13A AAMs for testing. ;''izdeliye SM-12/4T'':the fourth SM-12 prototype modified to carry K-13A AAMs for testing. ;''izdeliye SM-12PM'':intended production version of the SM-12 armed with the K-51 weapon system. ;''izdeliye SM-12PMU'':the second SM-12 prototype fitted with a U-19D booster rocket in an identical installation to the MiG-19SU. ;''izdeliye SM-20'':missile simulators used to test the guidance systems for the Kh-20 (NATO - AS-3 Kangaroo) missile, air-dropped from a
Tupolev Tu-95 The Tupolev Tu-95 (russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the ...
mother-ship. ;''izdeliye SM-21'':the SM-2/V converted, for the third time, to test the APU-5 launch rails on outboard hard-points. ;''izdeliye SM-20P'': alternative designation for the SM-20/1 manned missile simulator (P - ''peeloteerooyernyy'') ;''izdeliye SM-30'': zero-length launch (ZeLL) test-beds with PRD-22R booster rocket. ;''izdeliye SM-30/3'': projected production zero-length launch (ZeLL) fighters. ;''izdeliye SM-50'': :High-altitude version (MiG-19SU) to intercept the Lockheed U-2, equipped with a self-contained U-19 liquid-fuel booster rocket pack. ;''izdeliye SM-51'':High-altitude experimental version, (MiG-19PU), fitted with a U-19 booster rocket. ;''izdeliye SM-52'':High-altitude experimental version, (MiG-19PU), fitted with a Sevrook re-usable booster rocket. ;''izdeliye SM-K'':two missile guidance test-beds, (SM-K/1 and SM-K/2), for the K-10S cruise missile system.


Licence built versions

;Aero S-105 :Czechoslovak licensed built MiG-19S by
Aero Vodochody Aero Vodochody (commonly referred to as Aero) is a Czech aircraft company. Its main production facilities are located at Vodochody Airport in the Prague-East District, on the municipal territories of Vodochody and Odolena Voda. During the ...
. 103 were built between 1958 and 1962. ; Shenyang J-6 :Chinese-built version of the MiG-19. This version was inducted into the Pakistani Air Force as the F-6. The F-6 was later modified by the Pakistani Air Force to carry U.S.-built AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. ; Shenyang JJ-6 :two-seat trainer version of the J-6


Operators

This only includes Soviet-built MiG-19s. For information on operators of Chinese-built aircraft refer to Shenyang J-6.


Former operators

; *
Afghan Air Force The Air Force of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, also referred to as the Islamic Emirate Air Force and the Afghan Air Force, is the air force branch of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The Royal Afghan Air Force was e ...
- 18 acquired by the Royal Afghan Air Force from 1964.Gordon 2003, p. 90 ; *
Albanian Air Force The Albanian Air Force ( sq, Forca Ajrore e Republikës së Shqipërisë - Air Force of the Republic of Albania) is the air force of Albania and one of the branches of the Albanian Armed Forces. History Early history In 1914 the governmen ...
- 15 MiG-19PM all built in Czechoslovakia and used from 1959 to 1965 by 7594 IAP in Rinas airbase. All sold to China and exchanged for Shenyang J-6 (with version J-6C). ; *
Bulgarian Air Force The Bulgarian Air Force ( bg, Военновъздушни сили, Voennovazdushni sili) is one of the three branches of the Military of Bulgaria, the other two being the Bulgarian Navy and Bulgarian land forces. Its mission is to guard an ...
- The MiG-19 served in the Bulgarian Air Force from 1958 to 1973. ; *
People's Liberation Army Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular armed forces of the Peo ...
; * Cuban Air Force - Cuba operated about 40 MiG-19s, including MiG-19SF, PF and PMs. ; * Czechoslovak Air Force - operated 183 MiG-19S, MiG-19P, MiG-19PM and license-built S-105 ; * East German Air Force - 12 x MiG-19S and 12 x MiG-19PM served until 1969 ; *
Egyptian Air Force The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية المصرية, El Qūwāt El Gawīyä El Maṣrīya), is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces that is responsible for all airborne defence missions and operates all mili ...
- One of the first Egyptian MiG-19 units was the 15th Air Brigade, consisting of Nos 20 and 21 Squadrons, which became operational at Fayid with a forward location at Milayz in the early 1960s. ; *
Hungarian Air Force The Hungarian Air Force ( hu, Magyar Légierő), is the air force branch of the Military of Hungary, Hungarian Defence Forces. The task of the current Hungarian Air Force is primarily defensive purposes. The flying units of the air force are or ...
-Operated 12 MiG-19PM from 1959 to 1973. ; * Indonesian Air Force - The Indonesian Air Force acquired a number of MiG-19S in 1961 and used during the preparation of Operation Trikora in 1962 (the annexion of Western New Guinea from the Netherlands) in Western New Guinea (now Papua and Papua Barat). Several of these aircraft crashed. All aircraft sold to Pakistan. ; * Iraqi Air Force - 30 MiG-19S, 10 MiG-19P, and 10 MiG-19PM were delivered in 1959 and 1960. However, only 16 MiG-19S were taken up by the Iraqi Air Force; the other aircraft were not accepted due to their poor technical condition, and remained stored in
Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is han ...
. The surviving MiG-19S were donated to Egypt around 1964. ; *
Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...
- Received 5 ex- Indonesian Air Force MiG-19S in December 1965. ; *
Polish Air Force The Polish Air Force ( pl, Siły Powietrzne, , Air Forces) is the aerial warfare branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 16,425 mi ...
- A total of 24 MiG-19P and 12 MiG-19PM interceptors served between 1957 and 1974. ; * Romanian Air Force - A total of 16 MiG-19P and 10 MiG-19PM aircraft were in service between 1958 (1959 for the PM) and 1972. ; *
Soviet Air Force The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
* Soviet Anti-Air Defence *
Soviet Naval Aviation Soviet Naval Aviation (AV-MF, for ''Авиация военно-морского флота'' in Russian, or ''Aviatsiya voyenno-morskogo flota'', literally "aviation of the military maritime fleet") was the naval aviation arm of the Soviet Na ...
; * Vietnam People's Air Force


Specifications (MiG-19S)


See also


Footnotes


References


Citations


Bibliography

* Belyakov, R. A. and Marmain, J. ''MiG 1939-1989''. Paris, France: Editions Larivière, 1991. . * Belyakov, R. A. and Marmain, J. ''MiG: Fifty Years of Secret Aircraft Design''. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. . * Butowski, Piotr (with Jay Miller). ''OKB MiG: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft''. Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1991. . * Crosby, Francis. ''Fighter Aircraft''. London: Lorenz Books, 2002. . * Davies, Peter E. ''USAF F-4 Phantom MiG Killers 1972-73 (Osprey Combat Aircraft #55)''. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Limited, 2005. . * Ethell, Jeffrey and Alfred Price. ''One Day in a Very Long War: May 10, 1972, Air Combat, North Vietnam''. New York: Random House, 1989. . * Hobson, Chris. ''Vietnam Air Losses, United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps Fixed-Wing Aircraft Losses in Southeast Asia 1961-1973.'' Midland Publishing (2001) England. . * Hoyle, Craig
"World Air Forces 2021"
''Flight International'', 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020. * * Gordon, Yefim. "Mikoyan MiG-19 Variants". ''Wings of Fame'', Volume 9, 1997. pp. 116–149. . . * Gordon, Yefim. ''Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19: The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter''. Hinckley, United Kingdom: Midland Publishing, 2003. . * Gunston, Bill. ''The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995''. London: Osprey, 1995. . * Hagedorn, Daniel P. ''Central American and Caribbean Air Forces''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1993. . * Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". ''
Flight International ''Flight International'' is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", it is the world's olde ...
'', 4–10 December 2018, Vol. 194, No. 5665, pp. 32–60. . * Koenig, William and Peter Scofield. ''Soviet Military Power''. Greenwich, Connecticut: Bison Books, 1983. . * Michel III, Marshall L. ''Clashes: Air Combat Over North Vietnam 1965-1972''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1997. . * . * * Robinson, Anthony. ''Soviet Air Power''. London: Bison Books, 1985. . * Sherwood, John D. ''Fast Movers: Jet Pilots and the Vietnam Experience''. New York: Free Press, 1999. . * Smith, Philip E. and Peggy Herz. ''Journey Into Darkness: The Gripping Story of an American POW's Seven Years Trapped Inside Red China During the Vietnam War''. New York: Pocket, Simon & Schuster, 1992. . * Sweetman, Bill and Bill Gunston. ''Soviet Air Power: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Warsaw Pact Air Forces Today''. London: Salamander Books, 1978. . * Toperczer, István. ''MiG-17 And MiG-19 Units of the Vietnam War (Osprey Combat Aircraft #25)''. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Limited, 2001. .


External links


RB-47H Shot Down
National Museum of the United States Air Force
MiG-19 FARMER at Global Security.org.

MiG-19 Farmer at Global Aircraft


{{Authority control MiG-019 1950s Soviet fighter aircraft Twinjets Mid-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1952