People's Republic of China
Shenyang F-2
The Shenyang F‑2 is a single‑seat, twin‑engine jet fighter produced by the Shenyang aircraft factory of the People’s Republic of China. Developed in the late 1950s as an indigenous improvement of the Soviet MiG‑19, the F‑2 made its first flight in 1958 and entered service with the PLAAF in 1965. Its airframe retains the swept‑wing layout of its predecessor but incorporates a reinforced fuselage, a more powerful Tumansky‑type afterburning engines and upgraded hydraulic systems that allow higher manoeuvre limits. Avionics were modernised with a locally built radar, radio navigation suite and a primitive fire‑control system that enabled limited all‑weather capability. Armament consists of three 30 mm cannons and provisions for rockets or early air‑to‑air missiles. The aircraft played a pivotal role in establishing China’s capability to produce and maintain supersonic fighters without foreign assistance, providing valuable experience that fed directly into later projects such as the J‑5, J‑6 and the modern J‑10 family. Though quickly outclassed by newer generation fighters, the Shenyang F‑2 remains a symbol of China’s early strides toward self‑reliant military aviation. It also served as a training platform for many of China’s early test pilots, reinforcing its legacy.