MiG-21bis Fishbed


 * For the advanced variant of this aircraft, see MiG-21-93.

The MiG-21bis Fishbed is one of the most famous fighter aircraft in history, with about 11,496 produced and 3,000 still in operation in over 40 countries. The MiG-21 is a high-speed interceptor reaching speeds up to Mach 2, built to be cheap and reliable, it has seen reproduction in over 22 separate variants, and is in heavy use throughout the Middle East, Eastern Europe, China as the Chengdu J-7, and Africa.

Air Combat 22
In Air Combat 22, the MiG-21bis appears as an enemy aircraft.

Ace Combat 2
In Ace Combat 2's campaign, the MiG-21 is a low-end fighter seen in a small number of missions, namely "Easy Money", "Opera House" and "Swordsmith".

As a player aircraft, it is made available exclusively in the post-game Extra mode, where it replaces the F-4E Phantom II as the second starting aircraft. It is one of the game's worst aircraft, having a sub-par rating in all performance parameters. It is slightly more maneuverable and resistant to damage than the F-4E, and has a small advantage in the fields of air-to-air and ground attack. However, it is significantly less stable.

Similar to its stardand counterpart, it can carry a payload of 64 missiles.



Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies
In Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies, the MiG-21 Fishbed is a fighter jet employed by the Federal Erusean Air Force. One of the rarest aircraft in the game, it is featured solely in the two first missions of the campaign, "Sitting Duck" and "Imminent Threat", both of which feature exactly two units. It is internally referred to as "MiG-21". In all appearances, the aircraft is featured with a plain white paintjob.

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
In Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War, the MiG-21bis Fishbed is seen in the early stages of the Campaign. It is first featured in "Shorebirds", and is later seen once more in "Open War". Following these two missions, it is never seen again as an NPC.

It is unlocked at the Hangar screen after completing the mission "Narrow Margin", and is worth $7,600 credits a unit. The Fishbed is a light fighter aircraft with generally poor statistics, having many parameters with a score beneath 50. It has the second worst air-to-air statistic of the game (following the F-5E Tiger II at 22%), but, suprisingly, has a significantly higher air-to-ground score due to its special weapon being a Rocket Launcher.

As well, its performance is further inhibited by poor mobility and thin armor, which conversely provides the aircraft with a high airspeed, topping at 1,243 MPH. The high speed of the MiG-21bis make it an airplane better suited for light dogfights, although its performance generally depends on the skill of the pilot.

The Fishbed can carry 56 standard missiles, and uses a Rocket Launcher with eight shots as its special weapon. It is the first aircraft of the MiG-21 family, and is succeeded by the MiG-21-93.

Colors

 * OS: Two-tone green desert camouflage.
 * RZ: Standard Razgriz black with the tail emblem.
 * YK: Silver paint job.

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
"A small, single-engine fighter, codenamed 'Fishbed'. While its electronics and weapons capability are outdated, it makes up for it with high manoeuvrability and low cost."

- In-game description. The MiG-21bis Fishbed is a fighter aircraft used by the Belkan Air Force. As an NPC aircraft, it can be found in numerous missions. The first appearance of the aircraft as hostile is as an ace in the mission "Annex", and reappears as an standard enemy in "The Round Table" and "Lying in Deceit". Additionally, a second ace can be engaged under certain circumstances in "The Final Overture". A third ace, Ace Combat 5 supporting character Wolfgang Buchner flies an special Fishbed in "Mayhem" if flying as a Mercenary Ace.

It is the first available aircraft at the Hangar at the very beginning of the campaign, and has a price of $8,500 credits. Similar to past playable incarnations, it is characterized by a high airspeed, which is achieved at the expense of weak armor. It has low air-to-air capabilities, which are hindered by low mobility, yet it has a relatively good ground combat performance.

The Fishbed has a secondary weapon arsenal suited for ground attacks. It can use the Quick Maneuver Air-to-Air Missile, Rocket Launcher and Unguided Bomb.

Aces

 * Glueck
 * Huckebein
 * Eisente

Colors

 * Standard: Plain white paint.
 * Mercenary: Dual green tone forest camouflage. Reused from Ace Combat 5.
 * Soldier: Brown and green camouflage.
 * Knight: White and gray camouflage.
 * Special: White paint with black/powder blue livery.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon
"A fighter created by the former Soviet Union in the pursuit of small size, light weight, and low cost. Its outdated electronic equipment and weapons equipping performance are unreliable, but its light weight gives it excellent speed performance. However, stability during high speed rolls is low, so a high level of flight experience is required. Called by the NATO codename "Fishbed", more than 10,000 of this hugely popular fighter were deployed by former Eastern Bloc nations."

- Hangar description. The MiG-21bis Fishbed returns in Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. In the game's campaign mode, it is the preferred fixed-wing aircraft of the SRN insurgency, appearing in nearly all levels featuring them. It first appears in "Inferno", and later reappears as a critical target in "Spooky". It makes its final appearance in "Blue On Blue", after which it is replaced by the MiG-29A Fulcrum as the game's central enemy aircraft.

It is one of the first four aircraft available at the beginning of the campaign, along with the F-16C Fighting Falcon, F-16F Fighting Falcon and Mirage 2000-5. The second Fighter-class plane available, it inherits its past incarnations' high speed and has relatively respectable, yet not impressive mobility. It has the lowest Defense of all initially available fighters.

In the weapons field, the Fishbed can carry a payload of 162 basic missiles (MSL). It can equip either SAAMs for extra power in air combat or, most notably, the Machine Gun Pod (MGP) with 540 rounds. Combined with the standard machine gun, the MGP provides the Fishbed with exceptional anti-air capability, specially if either weapon is augmented with skills.

Aces

 * Baobab (Oil Field)
 * Mamba (Oil Field)
 * Savannah (Oil Field)
 * Alikuwa (East African Town)
 * Roho (East African Town)
 * Mwanga (East African Town)

Colors

 * Color 1: Warwolf Squadron. Light gray paint with green tail-fin.
 * Color 2: New Russian Federation official color. Green and brown Camoflauge.
 * Color 3: MiG-21-93 color scheme from IAI (Israel Aircraft Industries).

Ace Combat Infinity
The MiG-21bis Fishbed is seen for a split second in trailer 01 pursuing a Typhoon. This adds the MiG-21 in the list of aircraft in Ace Combat Infinity.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon

 * In Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, the cone sticking out of the MiG-21bis' nose is retractable.
 * In the "Unlockables" section, the name of the aircraft is misspelled as "Mig-21bis".