Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (NATO reporting name Fishbed) is a fighter aircraft, originally built by the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It is the most common post-World War II aircraft, with the exception of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.

The MiG21 saw frequent action in the Vietnam War and was one of the most advanced aircraft at the time. However, many North Vietnamese aces preferred flying the MiG-19, due to the wingload on the MiG-21's wings. Employing the popular triangular wings, it was the first successful Soviet aircraft combining fighter and interceptor in a single aircraft. It was a lightweight fighter, achieving Mach 2 speed using a relatively low-powered afterburning turbojet, and is thus comparable to the American F-104 Starfighter and French Dassault Mirage III.

It was used also in early stages of the wars in Afghanistan but soon outclassed by the newer MiG-23 and MiG-27.

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The first prototype (called Ye-6) flew in 1957, entering service in 1958.

Currently MiG-21s, in the F/L variant are currently produced under license by HAL of India. However, following a series of about 250 crashes over the last decade, the Indian Air Force has announced that the MiG-21 will be phased out of service.

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