An aircraft that was built to replace the MiG-15 as the Soviet Union’s primary fighter aircraft during the 1950s. Quite similar to the MiG-15, two notable exceptions of the 17 included a thinner wing of the greater sweep and a redesigned tail that improved stability and handling at speeds approaching Mach 1. The 17 was also the first Soviet fighter aircraft to have an after-burning engine. The plane was mostly associated with the Vietnam War. It was the primary enemy aircraft engaged in the skies over Vietnam by U.S. fighters during that war, and until the U.S. F-16 entered service, it was the tightest-turning fighter in the world. It is still in use today by a number of countries. It has a maximum speed of 695 mph, and a maximum range of 1120 NM. It’s armed with a 3x23mm cannon or a 1x37mm, and 2x23mm cannons, 8x57mm rocket pods, 2×55011 bombs, or 2×105 gallon drop tanks. It is operated by 22 nations including North Korea, Algeria, China, and Vietnam.