In July 2024, NATO forces identified two Russian Mikoyan-Gurevich 29 (MiG-29) fighter jets near the Latvian coastline. Russian forces had not communicated their flight plan to Air Traffic Control. Subsequently, German figher aircraft intecepted the MiG aircraft. Days before, the Dutch Navy intercepted and escorted Russian ships through the Netherlands’ waterways. Moves by Russian forces have NATO allies concerned, especially now that Russia seems to be exploring the use of its MiG fighter jets. (Take a look at how Russia and NATO’s military capabilities compare.)
MiG fighter jets were conceptualized and built by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich in 1939. These powerful fighter jets could fill roles from interception to ground attack. Their flexibility made them appealing in times like World War II, where these aircraft were heavily used by the Soviets. The MiG-9 debuted in 1946. But the MiG-15, debuting one year later, marked a signficant breakthrough in military aircraft with its swept wings and armament. Later models like the MiG-17 and MiG-19 built on this technology, leading up to the MiG-21. This jet was renowned for its agility and speed, and is arguably the most produced supersonic jet aircraft ever.
As the Cold War intensified, the MiG-23 and MiG-25 were introduced. Developed in the 1970s, the MiG-29 was meant primarily to counter the U.S. F-16 and still remains in service across multiple air forces globally. Today, despite the dissolution of the Soviet Union, MiG fighters are still found in air forces around the world. Russia possesses the largest fleet of MiG aircraft by far. Beyond Russia, several former Soviet states like Ukraine and Kazakhstan have sizable MiG fleets. Outside of the former Soviet bloc, Countries outside of the former Soviet bloc, like India and Egypt, have also built up MiG aircraft fleets.
24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look into these countries that still fly MiGs. To identify the countries with the most MiG fighter jets, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ranked these countries according to the number of MiGs currently in service. We included supplemental information from GlobalFirePower regarding each country’s current air force and overall military strength ranking. We excluded countries that are not in the process of ordering combat aircraft.
Why Are We Covering This?
MiG fighter jets have been an important component of military aviation for decades, primarily due to their blend of advanced technology, cost-effectiveness, and versatile capabilities. Originating in the Soviet era, MiGs were developed to challenge Western air superiority and offer a reliable, high-performance fighter jet option for the Soviet Union. Over time, their importance grew as they became a staple in numerous air forces around the world, especially in developing nations that required effective and affordable military equipment.
Compare which countries have the most MiG fighter jets.
32. Democratic Republic of Congo
- Active MiG aircraft: 2
- Variants: MiG-23
- Total military aircraft: 46
- Military strength score: 1.2491 – #73 out of 145
31. Mongolia
- Active MiG aircraft: 2
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 11
- Military strength score: 2.1079 – #105 out of 145
30. Zimbabwe
- Active MiG aircraft: 3
- Variants: MiG-23
- Total military aircraft: 90
- Military strength score: 2.0352 – #101 out of 145
29. Uganda
- Active MiG aircraft: 5
- Variants: MiG-21
- Total military aircraft: 55
- Military strength score: 2.2405 – #114 out of 145
28. Bangladesh
- Active MiG aircraft: 8
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 216
- Military strength score: 0.5419 – #37 out of 145
27. Mozambique
- Active MiG aircraft: 8
- Variants: MiG-21
- Total military aircraft: 21
- Military strength score: 1.8377 – #92 out of 145
26. Peru
- Active MiG aircraft: 8
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 258
- Military strength score: 0.8475 – #53 out of 145
25. Ethiopia
- Active MiG aircraft: 9
- Variants: MiG-23
- Total military aircraft: 91
- Military strength score: 0.7938 – #49 out of 145
24. Mali
- Active MiG aircraft: 9
- Variants: MiG-21
- Total military aircraft: 42
- Military strength score: 2.1115 – #106 out of 145
23. Croatia
- Active MiG aircraft: 11
- Variants: MiG-21
- Total military aircraft: 81
- Military strength score: 1.1333 – #66 out of 145
22. Bulgaria
- Active MiG aircraft: 13
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 65
- Military strength score: 1.0132 – #62 out of 145
21. Serbia
- Active MiG aircraft: 14
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 112
- Military strength score: 0.9038 – #56 out of 145
20. Azerbaijan
- Active MiG aircraft: 15
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 144
- Military strength score: 0.9934 – #59 out of 145
19. Libya
- Active MiG aircraft: 18
- Variants: MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-25
- Total military aircraft: 132
- Military strength score: 1.4449 – #79 out of 145
18. Sudan
- Active MiG aircraft: 18
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 170
- Military strength score: 1.4119 – #76 out of 145
17. Iran
- Active MiG aircraft: 24
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 551
- Military strength score: 0.2269 – #14 out of 145
16. Turkmenistan
- Active MiG aircraft: 24
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 90
- Military strength score: 1.4906 – #83 out of 145
15. Poland
- Active MiG aircraft: 29
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 468
- Military strength score: 0.2917 – #21 out of 145
14. Belarus
- Active MiG aircraft: 33
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 183
- Military strength score: 1.0901 – #64 out of 145
13. Myanmar
- Active MiG aircraft: 33
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 293
- Military strength score: 0.5251 – #35 out of 145
12. Uzbekistan
- Active MiG aircraft: 38
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 191
- Military strength score: 1.1069 – #65 out of 145
11. Algeria
- Active MiG aircraft: 40
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 605
- Military strength score: 0.3589 – #26 out of 145
10. Yemen
- Active MiG aircraft: 42
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 177
- Military strength score: 1.4692 – #81 out of 145
9. Egypt
- Active MiG aircraft: 43
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 1,080
- Military strength score: 0.2283 – #15 out of 145
8. Angola
- Active MiG aircraft: 45
- Variants: MiG-21, MiG-23
- Total military aircraft: 297
- Military strength score: 0.8702 – #55 out of 145
7. Cuba
- Active MiG aircraft: 46
- Variants: MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 81
- Military strength score: 1.1869 – #68 out of 145
6. Ukraine
- Active MiG aircraft: 55
- Variants: MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 321
- Military strength score: 0.2598 – #18 out of 145
5. Kazakhstan
- Active MiG aircraft: 58
- Variants: MiG-23, MiG-27, MiG-29, MiG-31
- Total military aircraft: 243
- Military strength score: 0.9495 – #58 out of 145
4. North Korea
- Active MiG aircraft: 121
- Variants: MiG-15, MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 951
- Military strength score: 0.5313 – #36 out of 145
3. Syria
- Active MiG aircraft: 168
- Variants: MiG-25, MiG-29
- Total military aircraft: 452
- Military strength score: 1.0026 – #60 out of 145
2. India
- Active MiG aircraft: 247
- Variants: MiG-21
- Total military aircraft: 2,296
- Military strength score: 0.1023 – #4 out of 145
1. Russia
- Active MiG aircraft: 403
- Variants: MiG-29, MiG-31, MiG-35
- Total military aircraft: 4,255
- Military strength score: 0.0702 – #2 out of 145
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