MiG-21 Fishbed vs F-4 Phantom II: Air-to-Air Combat Record

MiGFlug · Fighter Combat Records

MiG-21 Fishbed vs F-4 Phantom II: Air-to-Air Combat Record

How the MiG-21 Fishbed and F-4 Phantom II compare in real air-to-air combat — confirmed kills, losses, kill ratio and the documented times they met in the sky

MiG-21 Fishbed fighter
USSR · 2nd gen

MiG-21 Fishbed

Fighter / interceptor · first flight 1955
F-4 Phantom II fighter
United States · 3rd gen

F-4 Phantom II

Interceptor / fighter-bomber · first flight 1958
100–180
A2A kills
150
200–500
A2A losses
42
0.6 : 1
Kill ratio
3.6 : 1
200
Ground losses
719
600
Total engagements
911
⚔ When they actually met contested
Vietnam War · 1965–1973
dozens–dozens
The definitive Cold War dogfight rivalry. Both sides scored dozens of kills, and the exact exchange ratio is disputed between US and Vietnamese accounting to this day.

MiG-21 Fishbed

The softest numbers on the page: ~11,500 built and combat across four continents, with no reconciled global ledger. Totals are rounded aggregate estimates shown as ranges — confirmed kills ~100–180 (claims run far higher) against ~200–500 air-combat losses depending on whose credits you accept; the Vietnam kill-ratio remains a decades-long dispute.

F-4 Phantom II

Over Vietnam, US Navy, Air Force and Marine F-4s were credited with about 150 MiG kills for 42 Phantoms lost in air combat — roughly 3.6 to 1 per US records; North Vietnamese claims differ on both counts. Counting every operator worldwide (Israel, Iran and others) the kill total is far higher, but their air-to-air losses are not consistently recorded, so a like-for-like global ratio is unreliable.

Frequently asked questions

Did the MiG-21 Fishbed and the F-4 Phantom II ever meet in air-to-air combat?
Vietnam War (1965–1973): The definitive Cold War dogfight rivalry. Both sides scored dozens of kills, and the exact exchange ratio is disputed between US and Vietnamese accounting to this day.
How do the MiG-21 Fishbed and F-4 Phantom II compare in air-to-air combat?
The MiG-21 Fishbed has 100–180 confirmed air-to-air kills for 200–500 losses (0.6 to 1). The F-4 Phantom II has 150 kills for 42 losses (3.6 to 1). Figures count confirmed victories over manned aircraft, cross-checked across sources.
Can I fly a fighter jet like the MiG-21 Fishbed or the F-4 Phantom II?
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Full combat records:MiG-21 Fishbed · F-4 Phantom II
All fighters — combat statistics database · Jet-age database
On the numbers. Air-to-air figures count confirmed victories against manned aircraft, credited by the operating air force and cross-checked. Ranges mark contested historical tallies; recent 2022–2026 figures are credited but still firming up. Full methodology on the main database.
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