MiG-19: I never went anywhere. Let's continue...
В stories aviation There are planes... and then there are planes. Who remembers the Su-11 and Yak-25 today? The F-9 and F-94? Only historians. And then there are planes whose names are etched into the sky.
70 years ago, in September 1955, the supersonic MiG-19 fighter entered service with the Soviet Air Force. It was the first Soviet production supersonic fighter, and the first in the world, capable of achieving supersonic speeds in level flight.
Overall, the MiG-19 wasn't all that different from its predecessors, the MiG-15 and MiG-17, but this aircraft marked a turning point between different eras of global aviation. It was the first aircraft of the second generation of jet aircraft in our Air Force.
It is worth noting that the MiG-19 was only one year behind its main competitor, the North American F-100 Super Sabre, which entered service in 1954.
Surprisingly, the MiG-19 was in no way inferior to the American aircraft (something the US hadn't expected), and in some ways even superior. For example, the F-100 was twice as heavy, giving the MiG-19 the freedom of maneuver that it utilized in many air battles. And the three 23mm NR-23 cannons were proven and reliable. weapons. In addition, already with the MiG-19PM modification, the aircraft was equipped with guided missiles missiles "air-to-air".
Almost from the moment it appeared in the Soviet Air Force, the MiG-19 found itself in various combat situations. However, its first victories and losses only began in 1960. And, unfortunately, the first loss was to friendly forces.
On May 1, 1960, an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft piloted by Captain Powers violated Soviet airspace. The brazen American flew from the Soviet-Afghan border to Sverdlovsk, where he was subdued by S-75 antiaircraft gunners. But, tragically, two MiG-19s scrambled to intercept him were also caught in the same salvo. Captain Ayvazyan managed to evade the attack, but his wingman, Lieutenant Safronov, was unfortunately shot down and killed.
Exactly two months later, on July 1, 1960, the MiG-19 scored its first victory. Captain Vasily Polyakov shot down an RB-47H Stratojet reconnaissance aircraft.
A lot was made of this incident, saying that the American started shooting back at our plane, which is why everything happened that way, but in reality, everything was much more prosaic and in accordance with the regulations.
Here's what retired Colonel Vasily Polyakov told a Komsomolskaya Pravda correspondent:
"On July 1, 1960, I was on combat duty at 2nd readiness at an airfield near Murmansk... I was scrambled to locate an intruder... I reported: 'I see the target. What should I do?' The response was: 'Approach and identify it.' I complied, approached the reconnaissance aircraft from the starboard wing to a range of approximately 30 meters, and, in accordance with international regulations, signaled: 'Attention! Follow me.' But the RB-47, instead of obeying the command, attempted to break away from me... After obvious disobedience, seeing that the spy was attempting to leave our airspace, I requested the command post: 'The target is escaping. What should I do?' After a long pause, the command followed: 'Destroy!' I fired two salvos, and the RB-47 burst into flames."
The only thing that is unclear here is whether Captain Polyakov fired two salvos of cannons or missiles, but the fact is: such a huge thing as the RB-47H Stratojet (90 tons at takeoff in the reconnaissance version) was more than enough.
This was the first, but far from the last, incident involving the MiG-19 during the Cold War. In fact, there were more than a few such incidents. Many retired US Air Force officials testified in their memoirs that the MiG-19 greatly complicated the lives of their reconnaissance aircraft.
Overall, during the MiG-19's service with the Soviet Air Force, two aircraft (American) and seven reconnaissance balloons (the number could well be higher) were shot down, not counting those forced to land. Of these, one aircraft was lost to friendly fire from the ground.
A pretty good result, but the MiG-19 had War with a capital W ahead of it.
In general, many experts compare the MiG-19 with the F-100 Super Sabre, and this is fair, but the MiG-19's main rival in the air battles of the Vietnam War was the much more advanced McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.
This isn't often talked about because the fighters in Vietnam were called J-6s, but it's worth dotting the i's.
In 1956, the Soviet Union transferred the MiG-19 production documentation to China, formalized licensing agreements, and transferred the tooling. The following year, the first MiG-19P, assembled in China, took to the skies.
So, what kind of aircraft is this Shenyang J-6? It's a MiG-19P/MiG-19PM, officially license-assembled in China and differing from the MiG-19 only in the hieroglyphs on the instrument panel and elsewhere. So, those who claim that MiG-19s fought against Phantoms in the skies over Vietnam are not mistaken by a millimeter.
Of course, technologically, China was very much inferior to its northern neighbor and, at that time, its “big brother,” so the WP-6 engine was inferior to the original RD-9B, primarily in terms of reliability.
But overall, the MiG-19's performance over Vietnam must be considered quite successful. Chinese fighters shot down 19 American aircraft, seven of which were Phantoms. Considering their own losses of five aircraft, this is a more than respectable performance.
The Chinese version of the MiG-19 is generally considered a very successful aircraft and has had a significant impact on the subsequent development of Chinese combat aviation. It was thanks to the MiG-19 that China entered the military aviation market, first selling the aircraft regionally and then selling it widely, as the Chinese were able to independently develop a trainer aircraft based on the MiG-19, the so-called "dual trainer." The USSR had no such aircraft, and pilots were trained on the MiG-15UTI.
Having solved the training issue, the Chinese burst into the market and began offering an aircraft that had received favorable reviews following the Vietnam War.
The first customer was Pakistan, which received a total of over 185 aircraft. The following were:
- Bangladesh – 40 aircraft;
- Vietnam – 40 aircraft;
- DPRK – more than 100 aircraft;
- Kampuchea – 16 aircraft;
- Iraq – 40 aircraft;
- Iran - 24 aircraft;
- Tanzania – 12 aircraft;
- Zambia – 12 aircraft;
- Sudan – 9 aircraft;
- Albania – 70 aircraft;
- Egypt – 100 aircraft;
- Somalia – 50 aircraft.
Yes, virtually all the countries on this list have already retired the MiG-19, but the Bangladesh Air Force still operates about 30 Nanchang Q-5s, a ground-attack version of the J-6. The Somali Air Force has about 30 aircraft, Sudan still has eight aircraft after receiving 14 more in 1981, and Zambia still has six. However, the primary operator today is the North Korean Air Force, which maintains about 100 operational aircraft.
That is, in fact, the MiG-19 has truly crossed the 70-year mark.
During the entire period of communist hard work, Chinese factories produced over three thousand J-6 aircraft of all modifications. Sold, decommissioned, lost in combat, the thrifty Chinese have amassed around a thousand J-6s at their sites in eastern mainland China, in the areas of Shenyang, Beijing, Jinan, Nanjing, and Guangzhou (it should be noted that some of these sites are inland, built in the mountains during the Cold War). And, as those familiar with the matter note, the vast majority of these aircraft are operational.
A fair question might arise: why does China need so many old aircraft?
Probably the best answer would be, "Just in case." Hundreds of them were stored in our woods under the open sky, exposed to the seven winds and rain and snow. tanks And infantry fighting vehicles near the glorious city of Omsk? They were stored. T-54s, T-55s, T-62s, BMP-1s, and BTR-60PBs—there were a lot of them there. And what's left? A few odds and ends that the zealous scrap metal collectors haven't yet hauled away, and nothing more. Apparently, that very "just in case" finally happened.
And first of all, as you remember, in 2021 there was information that Chinese engineers were working on studying the possibility of converting old jet aircraft into DronesAfter the study, it was time for redesign. The result was the J-6W heavy UAV, which entered serial production at one of the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) aerospace concern's facilities.
Today it became known what changes the MiG-19 has undergone:
- the pilot's seat and life support system were removed;
- the guns were dismantled;
- completely removed all radio equipment except for the radar;
- the external fuel tanks were also dismantled.
Instead, the J-6W was equipped with a terrain-following navigation system and a full-fledged autopilot, plus a set of cameras for transmitting optical data. Naturally, powered by China's Beidou satellite system.
What happened in the end?
A truly heavy (7,500 kg takeoff weight) drone, capable, according to American experts, of solving a rather diverse set of tasks:
- a disposable strike platform with a 500 kg warhead;
- a reusable strike platform capable of carrying up to 4 bombs or missiles on a suspension;
- false target (doubtful);
- scout.
Considering the MiG-19's performance, the drone is quite interesting; just look at its flight characteristics. Let's compare it to the MQ-9 Reaper, as that drone is somewhat similar to the J-6W.
The speed remains the same – 1,450 km/h. That's faster than any similar aircraft. For now, at least. The MQ-9 can reach a maximum speed of 400 km/h, and its cruising speed is generally 250 km/h, although it can cruising at this leisurely pace for almost a day.
Altitude. 15,000 meters. That's also pretty impressive. On par with the MQ-9 Reaper.
Flight range: 1,400 km. The Reaper's range is 1,900 km, but that's all at the expense of speed.
Armament. 500+ kg externally. The MQ-9 can carry more, up to 1,700 kg.
The devices are similar, but their applications are completely different. The Reaper will carry more weight and haul further, but it will take an insane amount of time. By wartime standards, the Chinese one would have been 1,000 km. Drone will fly in less than an hour, and the American will fly, depending on the strength and direction of the wind, from 4-5 hours and further.
Moreover, we shouldn't forget about the surveillance and tracking capabilities of many countries. Even the Houthis, who have developed a habit of dropping Reaper missiles with or without reason, are doing well in this regard. More developed countries, needless to say, are well-located and monitored by the Reaper missile, despite all its strengths, and even more so by its destruction.
The Chinese unmanned MiG is a bit more complex in terms of camouflage, because although its wing is smaller (9 meters versus 25 meters), the materials used are, unfortunately, from the last century. This means the MiG will be "showing up" on radar screens with all its might.
And despite all this, the J-6W, based on the MiG-19, currently has more advantages than disadvantages. And the main one is that the MiGs already exist. Building a "Reaper" requires $30 million and a year of work. The Chinese, of course, won't say how long it will take to convert a MiG-19 into a J-6W, nor how much yuan it will cost, but the fact is that they are capable of deploying an armada of UAVs with excellent performance in the coming years without a large investment.
The Americans, let's say, are concerned about this. And understandably so: on the one hand, the MiG-19 is a veteran aircraft, having served for 70 years. On the other hand, the J-6W is simply excellent as a UAV; in fact, there are practically no UAVs in the world with the same performance as the modernized MiG-19/J-6W. And China will have plenty of them.
Is 70 years a lot?
Yes, especially for aircraft. Who today remembers the Vought F-8 Crusader, the world's only production aircraft with variable-wing pitch? Or the Il-54, the bomber that was supposed to replace the Il-28 but didn't? The Tu-98? The KC-135 Stratotanker?
There were many of them, planes that took to the skies and flew into history. And then there are planes that took off and aren't going anywhere. The Tu-95, B-52, MiG-19, MiG-21, Tu-16, C-130—they're still in the sky.
The MiG-19 has a chance of a third life as a UAV (counting itself and the J-6) precisely because of its strengths: its compact size and decent performance. This means the aircraft has every chance of celebrating future milestones as a combat aircraft.
What can you do if that country knew how to build airplanes? Just use it. Which is exactly what China is doing.
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