MiG-21-2000 / MiG-21bis - Program
After the end of the Cold War, Russia held talks on the modernization of MiG-21, with many countries, including Romania. Therefore, it came as an unpleasant surprise when in early 1993 an Romanian-Israeli agreement on the same subjectit was signed. The companied Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Elbit group undertook to prepare the documentation and sets of equipment for improvements, and the Romanian company Aerostar (formerly IAR Brasov) would mount the equipment on the aircraft. Under the terms of the contract, subject to finalization, some 100 MiG-21 Air Force Romania would be converted.
The new aircraft was designated MiG-21-2000. Its first copy was a modified MiG-21bis, bought from Israel in Nigeria. During rework most of the avionics of the aircraft equipment was replaced. At the Paris Air Show in 1993, Israel's MiG-21 appeared with the inscription on the plane: "MiG-21, 2000". There were two flags: Israel ... and Romanian, and the inscription "IAI" - Israeli aviation industry and "Aerostar" - Romania's corresponding structure. It turned out that the owner of the aircraft was Romania.
The director of the test center the IAI, who is also the chief pilot of the company, Shmuel Menachem said: "I flew in different versions.. And in my opinion, an outstanding aircraft of their time, speed, and to the present day."
The MiG-21 "Lancer" performed with Aerostar of Romania, transformed the MiG-21 combat aircraft into a high performance multi-role attack fighter, demonstrating its expertise in integrating Western-designed avionics and weapons into an Eastern platform.
However, by the end of 1994, information on Israeli-Romanian MiG disappeared. On the contrary, in 1995 there was a message that called the MiG-21-2000 listed third modernized "twenty-one" courtesy of the Air Force in Cambodia. The first flight of the machine took place on May 24, 1995 From the first version of the MiG-21-2000 machine different composition of the cockpit equipment.
By December 1996 an Israel Air Force (IAI) program to upgrade dozens of MiG-21 fighter plans belonging to the Ethiopian Air Force was in doubt, after it became clear Ethiopia’s government lacks funds to cover upgrade costs. A senior IAI official said the contract’s volume was $100-120 million.
"Ethiopia’s funding difficulties with the project have obliged us to find a financial solution, and assist the government of Ethiopia in receiving bank loans. We will have to enter a similar process concerning the Turkish upgrade project, a $600 million contract. We are very interested in carrying out the Ethiopian upgrade, as the sum of money is very significant and the project will help us in market penetration, offering upgrade and advanced modernization programs to additional countries in Africa."
Revenues and profits of Israel Aircraft Industries and Elbit Systems from the project for upgrading MiG-21 airplanes in Croatia, estimated at $90-120 million, are liable to plunge due to a Croatian government demand in February 1999 to conduct a major portion of the upgrading at its aircraft industry facilities in Zagreb.
In April 1998 Israel Aircraft Industries completed a series of flight tests of its MiG-21-2000, a heavily upgraded version of the venerable MiG-21 fighter featuring advanced avionics systems. The aircraft, by IAI's Lahav Division, completed its flight testing at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. IAI was confident that upgrades that compose the MiG-21-2000 will be popular on the global export market for countries that want to upgrade their air forces at low cost by extending the MiG-21's service-life, allowing it to remain effective against newer and more costly fighters.
IAI had contracts to upgrade Cambodian and Zambian Air Force MiG-21s. At a unit cost of between 1.5 and 3 million U.S. dollars. the Cambodian deal fell through when the USA and The World Bank cut their aid due to political developments in Cambodia. The four Cambodian aircraft that arrived in Israel were presumably never upgraded to MiG-21-2000s.
In July 1999 Israel Aircraft Industries, through its Lahav plant, and Elbit Systems, were bidding separately in a tender issued by the Vietnamese Ministry of Defence for the upgrading of MiG-21 aircraft. The Republic of Vietnam was executing a modernisation program for its air force, in which new aircraft were purchased from Russia, while aircraft previously acquired from the Soviet Union were being upgraded. The Vietnam Air Force operates 250 MiG-21s, of various sub-models. Also bidding was Mikoyan of Russia, manufacturer of the MiG.
In November 1999 Uganda purchase several Mikoyan MiG-21s from Poland in a deal that includes an upgrade package being undertaken by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI). The ex-Polish Air Force fighters were first transferred to the facilities of IAI's Lahav division, in Tel Aviv, where they were upgraded. IAI helped the Ugandans to select the first batch of five MiG-21MFs and two MiG-21 UTI two seat fighters. The deal was worth an estimated $15 million to IAI, and sources say there is an option for additional MiG-21s to be purchased and upgraded. It was not clear what the upgrade will involve but the MiG-21-2000 upgrade package offered by the Lahav division is modular, and can include an Elta EL/M-2032 advanced multi-mode radar, multi-function displays and other advanced avionics.
The IAI has approached several nations, that currently have the MiG-21 in service, to propose various types of upgrades for their aircraft. Many of these nations located in Africa, Asia Minor, Asia, and Europe, have responded with great interest. With the several upgrades it seems that the MiG-21 will remain a major player in the world’s military scene for some time to come.
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