* The rapid evolution of combat aircraft technology after World War II led the major military powers to develop and field Mach 2 fighters in the early 1960s. The Soviet Union's work along this path led to the Mikoyan "MiG-21" lightweight fighter, which was a mainstay of the USSR and Communist bloc nations through the 1960s and 1970s, and which still lingers in service. This document provides a history and description of the MiG-21 family.
