Soviet night-fighters in Korea?
I have seen it stated in several books, articles and interviews that USAF and US Navy F-94 and F3D pilots were convinced that the Soviets fielded MiG-15 night fighters in Korea. So far as I know only a handful of MiG-15s were fitted with radar:
- There was a single prototype and some five new built MiG-15 airframes fitted with the “Toriy” radar. But this radar set was so complicated that the pilot could either operate the radar or fly the aircraft but not both.
- There was the simpler RP-1 “Izumrud” radar which AFAIK was only fitted to a single MiG-15 prototype and a trio of MiG-15UTI trainers. It was, however, widely used on the MiG-17 after the Korea conflict.
- There is also the MiG-17P which didn’t enter production until 1953. However, there was a small pre production run of some five aircraft in 1952 before the war ended.
Is it possible that a few radar equipped MiG-15 or 17 pre-production aircraft were sent to Korea? Or did the Soviets rely on day fighters directed by ground radar stations for night interceptions?
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March 4, 2009 at 8:31 pm