The Romanian Ministry of Defence decided to upgrade the country's MiG-21 fleet in 1991. The first flight of a MiG-21 Lancer took place in 1995, last delivery to the Romanian AF is scheduled for 2002.
Four units currently operate the three Lancer-variants: BA 71 at Cimpia Turzii, BA 86 at Borcea, BA 93 at Timisoara and BA 95 at Bacau (which doubles as the Lancer-conversion unit).
Lancer versions:
The Lancer-A is the groundattack version of the Lancer. The prototype flew for the first time on August 22, 1995. A total of 73 Lancer-A aircraft were delivered to the Romanian Airforce from 1996. So far two were lost in accidents.
The Lancer-A has the Elta EL/M-2001B radar and only a single MFD in the cockpit (with provisions for a second). The radome is green while the aircraft has a fourtone brown/green camouflage. It can carry both Western and Russian weapons on the new pylons.
The Lancer-A conversions were drawn from the pool of MiG-21M, -MF and -MF-75 aircraft.
The two-seat trainingversion of the Lancer was dubbed Lancer-B. It carries the same camouflagepattern as the Lancer-A and also has a single MFD in the cockpit.
The initial order for ten Lancer-B trainers was changed into fourteen aircraft in the year 2000. The prototype first flew in May 1996.
MiG-21UM aircraft from later batches appear to be main Lancer-B candidates. A single Lancer-B of Grupul 95 was lost shortly after take-off in 1999.
The dedicated air-to-air variant of the Lancer took to the air on November 6,
1996. Initially 25 conversions were ordered but due to an increasing demand
for twoseaters this was changed into 23 (Aerostar has converted 24 MiG-21s into
Lancer-C).
The Lancer-C carries the Elta EL/M-2032 doppler-radar and has two MFDs in the cockpit. The radome is painted black and this variant carries a remarkable three-tone white/grey camouflage scheme.
