Shenyang J-6 Explained

The Shenyang J-6 (Chinese: 歼-6; designated F-6 for export versions; NATO reporting name: Farmer) is the Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter aircraft, the world's first mass-produced supersonic aircraft.

Design and development

Although the MiG-19 had a comparatively short life in Soviet service, the Chinese came to value its agility, turning performance, and powerful cannon armament, and produced it for their own use between 1958 and 1981. While the basic Soviet-built MiG-19 has been retired from all nations, the Shenyang J-6 still flies for nine of its original 15 operators, however, in a very limited capacity. The J-6 airframe contributed to the Chinese ground attack version, the Q-5, which still flies for numerous nations.

The J-6 was considered "disposable" and was intended to be operated for only 100 flight hours (or approximately 100 sorties) before being overhauled. The Pakistan Air Force was often able to extend this to 130 hours with diligent maintenance.^[1]

A number of J-6 based at Lianchen and Yantan-li bases appeared to have been converted into unmanned aircraft.^[2] Work on unmanned J-6 was first reported in 2013.

Description

The J-6 has a maximum speed at altitude of 1,540 km/h (960 mph), Mach 1.45. Service ceiling is 17,900 m (58,700 ft). Combat radius with two drop tanks is about 640 km (400 mi). The aircraft is powered by two Liming Wopen-6A (Tumansky R-9) turbojet engines. In addition to the internal cannon armament, most have provision for four wing pylons for up to 250 kg (550 lb) each, with a maximum ordnance load of 500 kg (1,100 lb). Typical stores include unguided bombs, 55 mm rocket pods, or PL-2/PL-5 (Chinese versions of Soviet K-13) air-to-air missiles.

Operational history

Albania

Albanian Air Force J-6s replaced the J-5s on the border to intercept Yugoslav incursions into Albanian airspace. However, the J-6 was ineffective against the faster Yugoslav MiG-21 'Fishbed'. Once the F-7A became available, the J-6 was redeployed to protect Tirana. As of 2005 all Albanian fighters were grounded due to a lack of spare parts.

Pakistan

Between 1965–1980, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) received 260 F-6 fighters which went on to serve with 10 PAF squadrons at various times. During their service, Pakistani F-6s also underwent 140 modifications at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex to improve its capabilities in the interceptor and close air support roles. These modifications included installation of Martin-Baker ejection seats, gun cameras, western avionics, AIM-9B/J/P missiles, French 68mm SNEB rockets, underbelly gondola-style fuel tanks and a special ground power unit, to quickly start the engines and shorten scramble time.^{[3] [4] [5]}

1971 Indo-Pakistani War

When the 1971 War broke out, the PAF had operationalized three F-6 squadrons which were the No. 11, No. 23 & No. 25 Squadrons. The F-6s of these squadrons collectively flew 945 sorties out of which 834 were combat ones.^{[3] [4] [5]}

Air to Air Combat

Throughout the war, the F-6 flew 650 Air Defence sorties in which they shot down approximately 8 Indian warplanes while damaging 2 more.^{[3] [6]}

On 4 December 1971, Flight Lieutenant Javaid Latif of the No. 23 Squadron shot down an Su-7 over Risalewala Airfield while Flying Officer Qazi Javed of the No. 25 Squadron shot down a Hawker Hunter over Mianwali Airfield.^{[5] [4]}

On 5 December 1971, Wing Commander Saad Hatmi (the Officer Commanding of the No. 25 Squadron) and his wingman Flight Lt. Shahid Raza shot down 2 Indian Hunters near Sakesar.^{[4] [5]}

On 7 December 1971, Flight Lt. Atiq Sufi of the No. 11 Squadron shot down an Su-7 near Samba.^{[4] [5]}

On 8 December 1971, Wing Commander Hashmi shot down a Su-7 which was attacking the Risalewala Airfield.^{[7] [4] [5]}

On 14 December 1971, Flight Lieutenant Amir Sharif of No. 11 Squadron claimed to have shot down a superior IAF MiG-21 over Shakargarh.^{[8] [5] [9]}

Ground Attack

Moreover, the F-6 flew 184 Ground Attack sorties where their 3 x 30 mm guns and 57 mm S-5 rockets were particularly effective against Indian armour, military vehicles, bunkers, and troop concentrations. Their Close Air Support missions at Shakargarh were the most successful.^{[10] [11] [3]}

At the end of the war, the PAF had lost two F-6s to ground fire while losing one F-6 to an Indian Su-7. An F-6 was also lost to friendly fire.^{[12] [6]}

Some notable Pakistani F-6 pilots are Mushaf Ali Mir who later became the PAF's Chief, Wajid Ali Khan who was taken as a POW after being shot down by Indian AAA, he later became a Member of the Parliament in Canada and Syed Manzoor ul Hassan Hashmi. The single-seat F-6 was retired from the Pakistan Air Force in 2002 and replaced with the Chengdu F-7P/PG aircraft.^{[3] [5]}

Vietnam War

The supersonic speed advantage provided by the MiG-21's more modern turbojet engine was found to be not as useful in combat as originally thought, because aerial dogfights at the time were conducted almost entirely at subsonic speeds. The J-6 (and hence the MiG-19 too) was found to be more manoeuvrable than the MiG-21 and, although slower, its acceleration during dogfights was considered adequate. The North Vietnamese Air Force fielded at least one unit of J-6s during the war, the 925th Fighter Regiment, beginning in 1969.^[13]

Somalia

Somalia ordered at least eleven F-6Cs and two FT-6s in 1979. Deliveries started in 1980. They were used during border skirmishes with Ethiopia in 1981, and they also saw combat during the Somali Rebellion, in the second half of the 1980s and until 1991.

Sudan

Twelve F-6 fighters and two FT-6 trainers were reportedly delivered to the Sudanese Air Force, starting in 1973. Moreover, twelve F-6Cs were delivered between 1981 and 1983. Another batch of twelve F-6Cs might have been acquired in 1990, as well as two FT-6s in 2001. Sudanese F-6s participated in the Second Sudanese Civil War, from the 1980s to the early 1990s. One F-6 was claimed shot down by the rebels in 1988, and two more in the autumn of 1991.

Uganda-Tanzania War

The Tanzania Air Force Command received its first batch of twelve F-6s starting in June 1973. An additional twelve F-6Cs and up to four FT-6s were also delivered in 1982. Tanzanian F-6s participated in the 1978–1979 Uganda-Tanzania War. However, they aren't known to have been involved in any air-to-air combats.

Zambia

Twelve F-6s were delivered to the Zambian Air Force, probably between 1976 and 1978. On 8 June 1980, Zambian F-6s intercepted and shot down an Angolan Yakovlev Yak-40, under unknown circumstances.

Kampuchea-Vietnam War

In the era of Khmer Rouge control of Cambodia (1975–1979), Chinese-supplied Khmer J-6s participated in Kampuchea-Vietnamese border clashes for ground attacks. During the Vietnamese invasion in 1978, the Cambodian aircraft were reluctant to take-off to intercept the Vietnamese ones, thus the Vietnamese captured a number of J-6s and put them on public display.

Iran–Iraq War

During the 1980–88 Iran–Iraq War, both sides deployed J-6 fighter jets. Documents from the US Defense Intelligence Agency released under the Freedom of Information Act (United States) on Chinese arms sales to Iran reveal that between 1980 and 1987 China delivered 100 J-6 fighter jets to Iran.^[14] Iraq's J-6 fighters were transferred from the Egyptian Air Force. Most missions J-6s performed during the Iran-Iraq War were air-to-ground attack.^[15]

Variants

Mass production type

• Shenyang J-6 – (a.k.a. Type 59, Dongfeng-102, Product 47 and F-6) Despite having no suffix to the designation, the J-6 appeared after the initial production of the J-6A had begun. The J-6 was equivalent, but not identical, to the MiG-19S.
• Shenyang J-6A – Production of the J-6 restarted after new assembly jigs, and other assistance, acquired from the USSR. Similar to MiG-19PF, an all-weather radar-equipped interceptor with two NR-30 30mm cannon. Exported as the F-6A.
• J-6B – (a.k.a. Type 59B, Dongfeng-105 and Jianjiji-6 Yi) Similar to MiG-19PM "Farmer-D", interceptor with two PL-1 (Chinese version of Soviet K-5 (AA-1 'Alkali') beam-riding air-to-air missiles; it is unclear if the J-6B retains its cannon. Only 19 J-6Bs were built by Nanchang Aircraft Mfg. Co. before the programme was terminated.
• J-6C – (a.k.a. Jianjiji-6 Bing, Product 55 and F-6C) Day fighter version with three 30mm cannons and braking parachute at the base of the rudder. This cannon's codename is Type 30-1.^[16]
• Shenyang J-6D – Advanced version of the J-6A with radome on the splitter plate (rather than the shock cone centerbody) for a Chinese-made radar. May also have been designated J-6 Xin. Another name is "J-6III". The name D-type was coined as a piggyback.
• Shenyang/Tianjin JJ-6 – (Jianjiji Jiaolianji – fighter trainer, a.k.a. Product 48 and FT-6) Chinese designed two-seat trainer, stretched 84 cm (33.1 in) to accommodate second seat, armed with one 30 mm cannon.
• Shenyang JZ-6 – (Jianjiji Zhenchaji – reconnaissance fighter) Dedicated reconnaissance version with fuselage camera pack replacing cannon. As of April 2006, it was reported that the PLAAF 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment, 26 Air Division based in Nanjing MR, is the last regiment to actively fly the JZ-6 refusing to convert to JZ-8F.^[17] Exported as the Shenyang FR-6.
• Guizhou J-6A – J-6A aircraft upgraded to carry two PL-2 (Pi Li – Thunderbolt) infrared-homing air-to-air missiles. The first flight was on 21 December 1975.
• J-6W - unmanned variant,^[18] first reported in 2013.^[19]

Prototype machine (including unfinished)

• Shenyang J-6A – (a.k.a. Type 59A, Dongfeng-103, Jianjiji-6 Jia) – Early production from 1958 to 1960 was sub-standard and not accepted by the PLAAF. Production was halted, the jigs scrapped, and production restarted with assistance from the USSR. The J-6A was equivalent to the MiG-19P. The maiden flight was made by Wang Shuhuai on 17 December 1958. Only around 100 aircraft from this version were produced. It was reported that the J-6A never actually passed the PLAAF's tests. The planes were of little operational value and suffered from quality issues, flight characteristics were much lower than those of the J-6.
• Shenyang J-6I – Single-seat day-fighter prototype with fixed shock cone on the intake splitter plate.
• Shenyang J-6II – Single-seat tactical fighter prototype with adjustable shock cone on a raked back intake splitter plate.
• Shenyang/Tianjin JJ-6 Testbed – Ejection seat testbed that succeeded H-5 ejection seat testbed.
• Xian BW-1 – Fly-by-wire flying controls test-bed for the Xian JH-7 flying control system.

Operators

Current

• Bangladesh Air Force − 9 FT-6 trainers as of December 2023

• Myanmar Air Force – 1 F-6 fighter as of December 2023

• North Korea Air Force – 97 F-6s fighters as of December 2023

• Pakistan Air Force − 9 FT-6 trainers as of December 2023

• Sudanese Air Force – 8 F-6 fighters as of December 2023

• Tanzanian Air Force – 3 F-6 fighters and 1 FT-6 trainer as of December 2023

• Zambian Air Force – 8 F-6 fighters and 2 FT-6 trainers as of December 2023

Former

• Albanian Air Force – 71 F-6 and FT-6 delivered between 1965 and 1971 partly in exchange for MiG-19PMs,^[20] retired in 2005.^[21] As of 2019, some remain in storage^[22]

• People's Liberation Army Air Force – Operated 35 JJ-6 ca. December 2019
• People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force – Operated 14 JJ-6 ca. December 2019

• Air Force of the Revolutionary Army of Kampuchea − 6 donated by China in 1978 in response to the Cambodian–Vietnamese War

• Egyptian Air Force – 40 delivered by China in exchange for MiG-23s in 1979. Between 1982 and 1983, a further 50 were delivered. This second batch was assembled in Egypt. 44 F-6 and FT-6 were in service in 2011

• Iranian Air Force − At least 16 were delivered between 1982 and 1984. According to SIPRI, the total number of aircraft delivered could be 22 or 25

Iraq

• Iraqi Air Force − 40 delivered between 1982 and 1983 through Egypt and Jordan. Operated an unknown number of aircraft prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq

• Somali Air Corps – At least 30 delivered between 1980 and 1981. According to SIPRI, the total number of aircraft delivered could be up to 50. Somali F-6s were dumped and destroyed in the years following the disintegration of the SAC in 1991

• Vietnam People's Air Force – 30 delivered between 1970 and 1972

References

Bibliography

• Book: Cooper . Tom . Weinert . Peter . Hinz . Fabian . Lepko . Mark . African MiGs, Volume 2: Madagascar to Zimbabwe . 2011 . Harpia Publishing . Houston . 978-0-9825539-8-5.
• Cordesman . Anthony H. . 7 February 2003 . Iraqi Armed Forces on the Edge of War . . 16 July 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100209162502/https://www.csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/iraq_edgeofwar[1].pdf. 9 February 2010 . Anthony Cordesman.
• Gordon, Yefim & Komissarov, Dmitry. Chinese Aircraft. Hikoki Publications. Manchester. 2008. .
• Gunston, Bill. The Osprey Encyclopaedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995. London, Osprey. 1995.
• Hoyle . Craig . Fafard . Antoine . World Air Forces Directory . . 196 . 5715 . 10–16 December 2019 . 26–54 . 0015-3710 . .
• Hoyle . Craig . World Air Forces 2024 . December 2023 . Flightglobal Insight . London . 25 May 2024.
• Taylor, Michael J.H. . Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions. London. 1989. .
• Toperczer, Istvan. MiG-17 and MiG-19 Units of the Vietnam War. 2001, Osprey Publishing Limited. .
• Yeager, Chuck and Leo Janos. Yeager: An Autobiography. Page 396 (paperback). New York: Bantam Books, 1986. .
• Air Commodore Qadeer Ahmad Hashmi, "Final Salute to F-6", URL: Final Salute to F-6
• https://web.archive.org/web/20121221231409/http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_324.shtml
• Book: Wragg . David . The World Air Power Guide . 2011 . Casemate Publishers . 978-1-84468-784-8 . en.

External links

• Shenyang J-6 fighter photo collection and introduction in Chinese

Notes and References

1. Yeager and Janos 1986, p. 396.
2. Web site: Yeo. Mike. 2021-10-20. China shows off drones recycled from Soviet-era fighter jets. 2021-10-26. Defense News. en.
3. 27 July 2020 . Faithful Warrior . Second To None . Directorate of Media Affairs Pakistan Air Force . 27 August 2022. AVM (R) Ikramullah Bhatti.
4. Web site: F-6 Aircraft of Pakistan Air Force. Defence Journal. Group Captain Sultan M Hali. 2022-08-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20001027213636/http://www.defencejournal.com:80/2000/july/f-6.htm. 27 October 2000.
5. Web site: DefenceJournal.com. Final Salute to F-6 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20030103080245/http://www.defencejournal.com:80/2002/may/salute.htm . Air Commodore Qadeer Ahmad Hashmi . 3 January 2003.
6. Web site: Trauma & Reconstruction (1971-1980). Pakistan Air Force. 29 September 2022. 26 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220826081717/https://paf.gov.pk/#/history. dead.
7. Book: . June 2007. PAF Over the Years . Pakistan . Directorate of Media Affairs, Pakistan Air Force . 73. F-6 Vs SU-7. Revised .
8. Web site: BBC Interview of Flight Lt. Amir Sharif. .
9. Web site: PAF Air to Air kills (1971 War). PakDef.info. 2022-08-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20080605022046/http://www.pakdef.info/pakmilitary/airforce/1971war/pafkills71.html. 5 June 2008.
10. Web site: Air Support in Shakargarh – 1971 War. Kaiser Tufail. 14 April 2010. AERONAUT.
11. Web site: 1971 Air War Assessed. 10 August 2019. Defence Journal. Kaiser Tufail.
12. Web site: PAF Aircraft losses (1971 War). PakDef.info. 2022-08-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20120712003410/http://www.pakdef.info/pakmilitary/airforce/1971war/paf_aircraft_losses.html. 12 July 2012.
13. Toperczer, Istvan. MiG-17 and MiG-19 Units of the Vietnam War. 2001, Osprey Publishing Limited.
14. Web site: Defense Intelligence Agency > FOIA > FOIA Electronic Reading Room > FOIA Reading Room: China . 12 July 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171211104904/http://www.dia.mil/FOIA/FOIA-Electronic-Reading-Room/FOIA-Reading-Room-China/FileId/89317/ . 11 December 2017 . live .
15. Web site: J-6 Fighter Jets in wars . AirForceWorld.com . 5 September 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110906131144/http://www.airforceworld.com/pla/j-6-mig-19-fighter-china-history.htm . 6 September 2011 . live .
16. Web site: J6 fighter jet ammunition . AirForceWorld.com . 15 July 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110906122627/http://www.airforceworld.com/pla/j-6-mig-19-fighter-china.htm . 6 September 2011 . dmy-all .
17. Web site: China Defense Blog . 16 August 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110708031131/http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_china-defense_archive.html . 8 July 2011 . live .
18. Web site: Reed . John . Meet China's new-old killer drones . Foreign Policy . 22 August 2021.
19. Web site: Yeo . Mike . China shows off drones recycled from Soviet-era fighter jets . defensenews.com . 20 October 2021 . Defense News . 21 October 2021.
20. Web site: Arms transfer database . Stockholm International Peace Research Institute . 25 May 2024.
21. News: Koleka . Benet . Albania's graveyard of MiGs to become NATO air base . 25 May 2024 . Reuters . 12 October 2018.
22. News: Mizokami . Kyle . Albania's Ghost Air Force Is Up for Sale, But It Doesn't Look So Good . 25 May 2024 . Popular Mechanics . 1 April 2019.