The end of the Second World War saw the victorious Allied nations desperately attempting to secure details of German jet technology & high speed research data information which could be applied to their own jet projects Using this information & engine technology obtained from Britain the Soviet Union introduced the diminutive Mikoyan-Gurevich Mi G-15 in 1949 one of the most capable of the early jet fighters & even as this aircraft was proving effective during the Korean War the Soviets were already working on its successor The larger & faster Mig-17 Fresco may have given the appearance of being nothing more than a larger incarnation of its predecessor however this was in fact a completely redesigned aircraft incorporating many improvements over the Mi G-15 & a significant upgrade in Soviet jet capability The Mi G-17 was designed to perform the role of bomber killer & was never intended as a dogfighter however its exceptional agility would allow this aircraft to score combat victories over much heavier & more modern American designs Dismissing the aircraft as nothing more than an upgraded Mi G-15 the Vietnam War proved to be something of a sobering experience for the US Air Force as some of their most modern aircraft would fall victim to the guns of the Mi G-17 even though this had itself been superseded by more modern designs Lighter & much more manoeuvrable than the US aircraft the subsonic Mi G-17 would claim victories over such aircraft as the F-105 Thunderchief & Mc Donnell Douglas Phantom which would result in the US developing new agile air superiority fighters in the years immediately following the end of the conflict Possessing both excellent performance & being easy to maintain the rugged Mi G-17 was produced in large numbers & became the standard Warsaw Pact fighter from the mid 1950s & for the next decade with aircraft produced under licence in both China & Poland An extremely cost effective aircraft it was an attractive fighter option for many of the world&8217;s smaller air forces & more than thirty overseas nations would eventually operate the type Perversely for a nation against which the Mi G-17 was designed to combat America would become home to significant numbers of these aircraft most coming into the hands of private collectors but a small number used in dissimilar aircraft trials & to perfect combat techniques against smaller more agile jet fighters Two beautifully restored examples have also been popular display performers on the US Airshow circuit over the years