BEIJING: People’s Liberation Army Air Force held on Saturday an official farewell ceremony for the J-6, a Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19 Farmer fighter aircraft, Chinese television reported.
Although the Soviet Union stopped production of MiG-19s in 1957, the Chinese came to value the plane’s agility and powerful armament and produced about 4,000 J-6 fighters from 1958 to mid-1980s.
The J-6 was the core of the Chinese fighter fleet until mid-1990s. It was exported to many developing nations and took part in a number of armed conflicts, including the Vietnam War.
China retired J-6s from combat duties in 2005. However, they have been used up to now in small numbers as remote control target drones and pilot trainers.
The export version of the aircraft, the F-6, is reportedly still in active service in Iran, Myanmar, North Korea and Sudan.
The J-6 has a maximum speed of Mach 1.45 and a service ceiling of 17,900 m (58,700 ft). Combat radius with two drop tanks is about 640 km (400 mi).
In addition to the powerful cannon armament, most versions of the aircraft have a maximum payload of 500 kg (1,100 lb).
