North Korean MiG-21s

zraver said:

More sinister, could they be turned into a crude mach 2 cruise missile?

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Of course they could, as well as older J-5 & J-6 models- in the last 16 years about 180 of them were withdrawn from service, if you compare their numbers again .
I think they could either upgrade them themselves or ask Cubans and/or Iranians for help- and if those just provide access to later variants the NKs would get something to work with. The picture in the first post may not be very accurate- the extra hardpoints could be added to the original 2, and there are launch rails for 2 missiles that can be attahed to each hardpoint.

An upgrade package would be ideal for the NK with Mig 21/J-7 seen in the technology demonstration aircraft from the PLAAF the upgraded existing airframe of the J-7. Includes a solid nose, increase power in the turbojet, more modern avionics. This upgrade package would be ideal for the NK as a cheap ulternative to make the J-7 more modern upgrading their existing large fleet of Mig 21/J-7 instead of purchasing the whole aircraft from scratch. Cheap route in modernising its old fleet of Mig 21/J-7. J-7FS is what the technology demonstration aircraft was called.

The North Koreans just got a bunch of J-7KGs a while back. Apparently, the new avionics on these were too much for them to handle.

Whatever they're varient they are not likely to be used in a tactically sound, or even strategicaly sound manner should war break out. Never underestimate an opponent is one thing, but the NKAF is still stuck in the 1960s. They have incredibly poor airfields with few support measures, virtually no hardened shelters save for tunnels into the mountains which are easily attacked (too few entrances, too few tunnels makes them a viable target).

Chengdu J-10 said:

An upgrade package would be ideal for the NK with Mig 21/J-7 seen in the technology demonstration aircraft from the PLAAF the upgraded existing airframe of the J-7. .. J-7FS is what the

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was called.

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If they decide to buy it, it will still take years to achieve full capability; in the meantime, surplus MiG-21s from other countries like Kazakhstan would fill the gap.

Although the

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is widely regarded as an obsolete design, Chengdu continued to introduce new models in the 21st century to satisfy the demands from both domestic and foreign customers for a low-cost solution to replace the large number of older fighters. The latest J-7G variant, which first flew in 2002, began to enter PLAAF service in 2003. As a result, the service life of this forty-year-old design may extend beyond 2015.

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Two MiG-21s were involved in the :

On January 23rd, 1968, the Pueblo was approached by a small North Korean naval vessel who demanded to know her nationality. The crew responded by raising the American flag, after which the North Korean ship ordered the Pueblo to either stop or be destroyed. Three North Korean PT boats were soon on the scene as well as two MiG-21 fighters.

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, by Lloyd M., Bucher