S?m? ?? th? ?l??st ?i?ht?? j?ts th?t ??? still ?????t?? ?? v??i??s ?i? ???c?s ??t? ??ck t? th? 1950s
H?v? ??? ?v?? th???ht ????t h?w m?ch ?????t m?st ?? ??t int? ??si?nin?, ??v?l??in?, ?n? m?n???ct??in? ? ?i?ht?? j?t? Q?it? ? l?t! Th???????, ?nc? ? s?li? ?n? ???ici?nt ??si?n is ???n?, th???’s n? ??int in ??ttin? ?i? ?? it j?st ??t?? ? ??l?tiv?l? sh??t ???i??.
Alth???h ?n? mi?ht think th?t ?n ?l? ?i?ht?? j?t m?st n?t ?? s?it??l? ??? ? w??l?-cl?ss ?i? ???c?, this is n?t ?lw??s th? c?s?. In????, milit??? j?ts ????l??l? ?n????? th?????h ??visi?n, ?n? th?i? c?m??n?nts ??? c?nst?ntl? ????t?? t? ?ns??? th? hi?h?st l?v?ls ?? ???ici?nc?.
C?ns????ntl?, m?st milit??? ?i?c???t ?n????? ???????s ?? m?n? ?? th?i? c??? c?m??n?nts, incl??in? ?n?in?s, ?vi?nics, ?n? w????ns. Wh?t ?n? is l??t with is ?n ?l?-l??kin? ??s?l??? hi?in? st?t?-??-th?-??t t?chn?l???. F??th??m???, it sh??l? ?? n?t?? th?t m?st milit??? ?i?c???t ??? n?w?? ?n? m??? ??v?nc?? v??si?ns ?? ?l? j?ts th?t w??? int????c?? ?????? th? ??i?in?l m???l w?nt ??t ?? ?????cti?n.
F?? inst?nc?, th? Mik???n-G???vich MiG-21 w?s ?i?st l??nch?? in 1959. H?w?v??, th? m?st ?ctiv? ?i?c???t ?? this t??? ??? th? MiG-21?is ?? ?th?? v??i?nts ???m th? 70s. M?n? ?? th?m w??? ?ls? ????t?? with n?w t?chn?l??i?s in th? 90s ?n? 2000s. Alth???h ??? is j?st ?n? ?? th? m?n? v??i??l?s c?nt?i??tin? t? th? s?cc?ss ?? ? ?i?ht?? j?t, it is ?n????t??l? ?n int???stin? ?n? t? inv?sti??t?. D? ??? kn?w which ??? th? ?iv? ?l??st milit??? j?ts still in ?ctiv? ?s??
Th? ?l??st ?i?ht?? j?t ??? c?n s?? ?l?in? n?w????s is m?st lik?l? th? Mik???n-G???vich MiG-17. This milit??? j?t w?s ??v?l???? ???m th? Mik???n-G???vich MiG-15, ? t??-??t?? ?i?c???t with th? K????n Ai? F??c?. Th? s?cc?ss ?? th? -17 v??i?nt ??li?? ?n ??in? ??st?? ?n? m??? ??w????l, with th? ??ssi?ilit? ?? ?sin? ?i?-t?-?i? missil?s in s?m? ?? th? l?t?st v??si?ns. This ?i?c???t w?s ?i?st int????c?? in 1952.
Th? ?i? ???c?s ?? M?????sc?? ?n? U??n?? still ?????t? th? ?i?c???t. H?w?v??, this m???l h?s ???n in st????? ??? ??c???s, w?itin? t? s??v? in ? missi?n. On th? ?th?? h?n?, th? Sh?n??n? J-5, th? Chin?s?-??ilt v??si?n ?? this j?t, mi?ht h?v? ???v?? ?v?n m??? ????l??, with h?l? ?? N??th K????’s J-5s ?????t??l? still ?????ti?n?l.
This ?i?c???t h?l?s th? ??c??? ?? ??in? th? ?i?st S?vi?t s????s?nic ?i?ht?? j?t. It st??t?? ?l?in? in 1955, ?n? ?lth???h th? ??i?in?l m???l is n? l?n??? ?????t??, its Chin?s? v??si?n, th? Sh?n??n? J-6, still ?l??s ? ??l?v?nt ??l? in th? ?i? ???c?s ?? v??i??s c??nt?i?s.
Th? MiG-21 is ???h??s th? ?l??st wi??l?-?s?? ?i?ht?? j?t, with th? ?i?c???t ?n? its n?m????s v??i?nts ?l?wn ?? s?v???l ?i? ???c?s.
Als? kn?wn ?s “Fish???,” this ??m??s milit??? j?t w?s ?i?st int????c?? in 1959 in th? S?vi?t Uni?n. Its s?cc?ss m?inl? ????n?s ?n its ??s? ?? m?int?n?nc? ?n? ?????tivit?. Alth???h v??? sim?l? in its c?nc??t, th? MiG-21 is ???tic?l??l? c?st-????ctiv? whil? ???vi?in? hi?h-??????m?nc?, s????s?nic c????iliti?s ?s ? ?i?ht?? ?? ?tt?ck ?i?c???t.
N??th??? ?????c?? th? F-5 ?s ?n in?x??nsiv?, ??s?-t?-?????t? li?htw?i?ht s????s?nic ?i?ht??.
It ?nt???? s??vic? in 1959, ?n? in 1962, it w?s i??nti?i?? ?s th? ?????ct milit??? j?t t? ?? ?x???t?? t? th?s? c??nt?i?s ?nc? ?n??? th? Unit?? St?t?s Milit??? Assist?nc? P?????m (MAP). A?t?? ??in? ?????t?? ???in? th? Vi?tn?m W??, th? F-5 w?s ??v?l???? int? th? F-5E Ti??? II in th? mi?-70s.
A???n? 2,700 N??th??? F-5s w??? ??ilt ?ntil ?????cti?n ?n??? in 1987. S?m? ?? th?s? ??? still ?????t?? ?s ?i?ht?? ??m???s, ??c?nn?iss?nc? ?l?n?s, ?n? ?li?ht t??in??s ??t?? ??in? ???????? t? n?w ?vi?nics ?n? ??m?m?nt.
T? ???n? ??t ??? list, th? ?i?th ?l??st ?ctiv? ?i?ht?? j?t is ? Chin?s? v??i?nt ?? th? S?vi?t MiG-21. Th? ?i?st ?li?ht ?? th? Ch?n??? J-7 ??t?s ??ck t? 1966.
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