When Czechoslovakia split in 1993, the newly independent Slovak Air Force inherited a fleet of MiG-21MF and MiG-21UM variants, which became the country’s first operational fighters. They were tasked mainly with air policing, interception, and pilot training, helping Slovakia maintain sovereign control of its airspace during its early years. Although capable, the MiG-21s were increasingly outdated compared to NATO aircraft, and by the late 1990s their role was largely limited to basic defense and training duties. The type was retired in 2003, replaced by more modern MiG-29s, but it remained significant as the aircraft that bridged Slovakia’s transition into an independent air arm.