A history of defection during Cold War

📷 During the Korean War, Operation Moolah was an attempt by the USAF to obtain (through defection) a fully operational Soviet MiG-15 jet fighter. Communist forces introduced the "Fagot" into Korea on November 1, 1950, and USAF pilots had indeed reported that the performance of the MiG-15 was superior to that of all United Nations aircraft including the latest US jet fighter. USAF, the F-86 Saber. The operation aimed to influence Communist pilots to defect to South Korea with a MiG in exchange for financial reward. No communist pilots defected before the armistice was signed on 27 July 1953.
However, on 21 September 1953, the North Korean pilot Lt. No Kum-Sok flew his MiG-15bis to the Kimpo air base in South Korea, according to some sources unaware of the Moolah operation, but much more realistically enticed by the reward of 50,000 dollars (incidentally doubled by the CIA which had established a bonus of another 50,000 dollars for the first defector who brought a fighter plane). In the following months, Lieutenant No also answered numerous questions relating to the North Korean military and the support it received from the USSR and China. He also provided valuable information to American test pilots prior to their evaluation of the MiG at Kadena Air Base. 📷 During the Korean War, Operation Moolah was an attempt by the USAF to obtain (through defection) a fully operational Soviet MiG-15 jet fighter. Communist forces introduced the "Fagot" into Korea on November 1, 1950, and USAF pilots had indeed reported that the performance of the MiG-15 was superior to that of all United Nations aircraft including the latest US jet fighter. USAF, the F-86 Saber. The operation aimed to influence Communist pilots to defect to South Korea with a MiG in exchange for financial reward. No communist pilots defected before the armistice was signed on 27 July 1953.
However, on 21 September 1953, the North Korean pilot Lt. No Kum-Sok flew his MiG-15bis to the Kimpo air base in South Korea, according to some sources unaware of the Moolah operation, but much more realistically enticed by the reward of 50,000 dollars (incidentally doubled by the CIA which had established a bonus of another 50,000 dollars for the first defector who brought a fighter plane). In the following months, Lieutenant No also answered numerous questions relating to the North Korean military and the support it received from the USSR and China. He also provided valuable information to American test pilots prior to their evaluation of the MiG at Kadena Air Base.
📷 After an initial test in Okinawa, given that the Pyongyang Government did not request its return, the MiG was transferred to the USA where it was thoroughly evaluated by numerous test pilots including Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager.
Finally, after removing the American decals ("616 U.S. AIR FORCE), it received a series of North Korean cockades and Soviet red stars and was permanently assigned to the USAF Museum in Dayton.
Major Yeager later stated: “Flying the MiG-15 is the most challenging situation I have ever faced. It is a bizarre plane that killed many of its pilots." The tests lasted 11 days. It revealed that the plane was a reasonably good fighter, but lacked the technological sophistication of American planes, such as the F-86. Major Yeager succeeded to fly the aircraft at Mach 0.98 before it became dangerously uncontrollable.Although the MiG-15 had a faster rate of climb and operated at higher altitudes than the F-86, it suffered - according to the American pilots - from wobble problems, poor pressurization, unexpected pitches at high speeds, unrecoverable spins, sudden stalls, and a particularly dangerous emergency fuel pump that could cause the aircraft to explode if improperly activated. Despite such shortcomings, Yeager and Collins established that the MiG-15 and F-86 were…equally capable.
Pilots' experience and training proved to be the most important factor during dogfights. Maj. Yeager concluded, "The most experienced pilot will whip your ass, no matter what you're flying!"
Let's face it: Yeager could never have said otherwise because expensive American technology certainly couldn't have received disparaging comments from a compatriot considering that the F-86 was sold to about twenty countries around the world.