A MiG-21 supersonic fighter jet donated to the National Naval Aviation Museum is slated to arrive Aug. 26, 2019.
The aircraft will be restored by museum staff.
The MiG-21 will be part of a planned exhibit telling the story of the Navy’s downing of two Iraqi Air Force MiG-21s by two F/A-18C Hornets from the USS Saratoga (CV 60) at the start of Operation Desert Storm on Jan. 17, 1991. The actual Hornets that scored those MiG kills arrived at the museum earlier this summer.
“In telling the full story of Naval Aviation, it is important to present to the public the capabilities of adversary air forces,” said Museum Director Capt. Sterling Gilliam, USN (Ret.). “The acquisition of the MiG-21 allows us to do just that as it was an aircraft that generations of Naval Aviators trained to fight against and actually battled from Vietnam to the modern era.”
Draken International, in Lakeland, Florida, is donating the aircraft.
The MiG-21 made its maiden flight in 1955 and has served in more than 60 air forces around the world. The aircraft being donated to the museum was previously flown by the Polish Air Force.
The National Naval Aviation Museum features nearly 350,000 square feet of displays and is one of the world’s largest aviation museums. Located aboard Pensacola Naval Air Station, the facility boasts more than 150 restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aviation, and is one of Florida’s most visited museums. Museum admission is free. The National Naval Aviation Museum is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.