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Eastern Order of Battle

The French connection in the early seventies

On June 21, 1966, France made the somewhat shocking move to withdraw its troops from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Though France remained politically in NATO, its started to approach the Soviet Union too.

This was part of the bilateral visit of the military units. In Jun 1971, a French Military Delegation arrived in the Soviet-Union. The Kubinka airport was under renovation, so the French Mirage III was received at the Domodedovo airport. Here the Soviet pilots of the 234th Guard Fighter Air Regiment met with the French guests and could see the Dassault Mirage IIIC fighter.
 
French Mirage IIIC at Domodedovo airport Soviet-Union in 1971

French pilot presents his Mirage IIIC fighter for Soviet pilots of the 234th Guard Fighter Air Regiment at Domodedovo airport Soviet-Union.
French Mirage IIIC at Domodedovo airport Soviet-Union in 1971

Soviet pilots of the 9th Guard Fighter Air Division in front of French Dassault Mirage IIIC at Domodedovo airport in 1971.

Two months later, in September 1971, the Russians returned the visit. Six factory fresh (only two mounts old) MiG-21MF ‘Fishbed-J’ export fighter aircraft from the 234th Guard Fighter Air Regiment traveled to France. A Tu-124 ‘Cookpot’ cargo aircraft helped navigate to Reims airport in France.
Soviet MiG-21MF Fishbed-J at Reims air base France in Sept 1971
Soviet MiG-21MF Fishbed-J at Reims air base France in Sept 1971

Six Soviet MiG-21MF Fishbed-J (B/N: blue 30, 29, 26, 28, 32, 27) export fighters of the 234th Guard Fighter Air Regiment at Reims air base France in Sept. 1971.

 
Soviet MiG-21MF Fishbed-J at Reims air base France in Sept 1971 Soviet MiG-21MF Fishbed-J at Reims air base France in Sept 1971
Normandia-Niemen F-86K Sabre in 1971 Soviet MiG-21MF Fishbed-J at Reims air base France in Sept 1971 Photo: William Green

Normandia-Niemen F-86K Sabre in 1971

MiG-21MF ‘Fishbed-J’. S/N: 964411 F/D: July 1971
Soviet MiG-21MF Fishbed-J at Reims air base France in Sept 1971 Soviet MiG-21MF Fishbed-J at Reims air base France in Sept 1971

A Soviet MiG-21MF ‘Fishbed-J’, carrying a pair of 490-liter drop tanks on the outer underwing hardpoints, is seen in the natural metal finish at Reims air base France.

French and Soviet pilots in front of MiG-21MF ‘Fishbed-J’ at Reims air base France in Sept 1971. Photo: G.F. Kuznetsova collection

Tags:
Soviet Union, USSR, Soviet Air Forces, VVS, Cold War, Soviet Air Defence, Moscow Military District's Air Force, Soviet Tactical Air Force, 9th Fighter Air Division, 234th Guard Fighter Air Regiment, 32nd Guard Fighter Air Regiment, 9th Fighter Aviation Division, 234th Guard Fighter Aviation Regiment, 32nd Guard Fighter Aviation Regiment, MiG-21MF Fishbed-J, Kubinka, Display Team, Rheims airbase in France, Reims airbase in France, French Air Force Normandie-Niemen fighter unit, Mirage IIIC, Domodedovo airport, 1971, Mikoyan and Gurevich

Облако тегов:
Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, СССР, Холодная война, Военно-воздушные силы, ВВС МВО, ВВС Московского военного округа, 78-я воздушная армия, 78-я ВА, 9-я гвардейская Мариупольско-Берлинская ордена Ленина Краснознаменная ордена Богдана Хмельницкого истребительная авиационная дивизия, 234-й гвардейский Проскуровский Краснознаменный орденов Кутузова и Александра Невского смешанный авиационный полк, 32-й гвардейский истребительный Виленский орденов Ленина и Кутузова авиационный полк, Кубинка, МиГ-21Мф, Показать Team, Реймс авиабаза в Франция, Реймс авиабазе во Франции, блок истребитель ВВС Франции Нормандия-Неман, Мираж III, Домоде́дово 1971, Микоян и Гуревич