Mig 21 aircraft of Malian armed forces makes emergency landing
Bamako, Mali - A Mig 21 aircraft of the Malian armed forces made an emergency landing on Thursday at the outskirts of Gao, 1,200 kilometres north from Bamako, a release from the Malian Ministry of Defence said on Friday.
According to the release, the aircraft landed in a rice field located in Gao's suburbs following technical problems.
There was no casualty and the pilot who is safe and sound has returned to base, the statement said.
Bamako - 19/10/2007


Link to story
http://www.afriquenligne.fr/news/dai...2007102010901/

I had to look this place up
http://www.sagatours.com/about-mali.html

North Korean version: where the pilot was executed and his family sent to torture camps.

The little I know about NK, I'm still amazed that thousand don't try and cross into the south to survive never mind attack. I can't believe that one of his own hasn't taken him out.

On an aircraft note I'm amazed these old Mig-21 can even fly anymore. India really improved there safely record with the Mig-21/93 upgrade and I think better training. It's doable but but still an old design but pretty cool to be able to launched AA-12 from them. I think the missile has more range then the radar in the aircraft but that's another story. Get to within about 30 miles and there still have a little punch.

That's crazy. I mean... why don't they just rip off an AA-12 radar and stick it in their MiGs?

That's what I meant the Indian Mig-21/93 have a radar in them that can be used for launching AA-12 radar guided missiles. They have about 100 of these upgraded frames now. Pakistan's future newer JF-17 doesn't have a radar guided missile/radar combo yet so in theory an old Indian Mig-21 might get the first shot in combat must be twenty years between them, crazy right. This aircraft the landed for some sort of problems was not a Mig-21/93, very few Mig-21 users upgraded there birds to a higher level. People forget that older aircraft still make up a good part of India's AF, that's India has less then 300 Flankers. I think only 2 squadrons of the MKI models to but I seem to remember an 40 aircraft order placed not to long ago. Pakistan most likely go with the Chinese radar and SD-10 radar guided missile down the line at some point. I alway get a chuckle when I think of how long India is taking to buy 3rd++ or 4th generation fighters, but that's another story.