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→Operational History: The Atlantique Incident
===Afghanistan===
===Afghanistan===
Soviet and Afghan MiG-21s saw service in the Soviet invasion of [[Afghanistan]], mainly in the fighter-bomber role. Several were lost to ground fire, and at least one Afghan pilot defected with his plane to [[Pakistan]].<ref>''The Encyclopedia of 20th Century Air Warfare'', ed. by Chris Bishop, Aerospace Publishing, 2001</ref> Many Fishbeds survived the fall of the Soviet-backed government, but by the time the [[Taliban]] came to power in 1996, only a few were still operational due to shortage of spare parts. It is unknown if any survived the American airstrikes of 2001.<ref>[http://www.mig-21.de/english/afghanistan.htm MiG-21.de]</ref>
Soviet and Afghan MiG-21s saw service in the Soviet invasion of [[Afghanistan]], mainly in the fighter-bomber role. Several were lost to ground fire, and at least one Afghan pilot defected with his plane to [[Pakistan]].<ref name="My">''The Encyclopedia of 20th Century Air Warfare'', ed. by Chris Bishop, Aerospace Publishing, 2001</ref> Many Fishbeds survived the fall of the Soviet-backed government, but by the time the [[Taliban]] came to power in 1996, only a few were still operational due to shortage of spare parts. It is unknown if any survived the American airstrikes of 2001.<ref>[http://www.mig-21.de/english/afghanistan.htm MiG-21.de]</ref>
===The Horn of Africa===
===The Horn of Africa===
In 1977, war broke out between [[Somalia]] and [[Ethiopia]] over the Ethiopian province of Ogaden. Somalia had been a Soviet client for many years, so MiG-21s formed the backbone of its air force. Partly due to lack of ground-based radar support, Somali Fishbeds had a poor record during the war, with most of them being shot down by ground fire and Ethiopian F-5s. Although the Ethiopian government denied it, it is widely believed that the Ethiopian planes were flown by Israeli pilots (who had a wealth of experience in downing MiG-21s).<ref>[http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_188.shtml Ogaden War, 1977-1978]</ref>
In 1977, war broke out between [[Somalia]] and [[Ethiopia]] over the Ethiopian province of Ogaden. Somalia had been a Soviet client for many years, so MiG-21s formed the backbone of its air force. Partly due to lack of ground-based radar support, Somali Fishbeds had a poor record during the war, with most of them being shot down by ground fire and Ethiopian F-5s. Although the Ethiopian government denied it, it is widely believed that the Ethiopian planes were flown by Israeli pilots (who had a wealth of experience in downing MiG-21s).<ref>[http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_188.shtml Ogaden War, 1977-1978]</ref>
===India===
[[India]] has flown MiG-21s since 1965.<ref name="My"/> On August 10, 1999, a few weeks after the end of the Kargil War, two Indian Fishbeds intercepted a [[Pakistan]]i Navy reconnaissance aircraft near the border and shot it down. All sixteen officers and men aboard the Pakistani plane were killed. The Pakistani government claimed they were on a training mission in Pakistani airspace, while the Indian government said that the plane was over Indian territory on an intelligence mission when it was intercepted and that it was shot down when it tried to run for friendly airspace.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990823/india_pakistan1.html Can’t Stop the Madness], Time magazine</ref>
==MiG-21 in Media==
==MiG-21 in Media==