Capt. Munir Redfa and Have Donut

The MiG-21 falls into U.S. hands

In 1966, at the height of the Cold War, Capt. Munir Redfa—an Assyrian Christian in the Iraqi Air Force—defected to the West with one of the most sought-after aircraft of the era: a brand-new, state-of-the-art MiG-21. Mistreated because of his Christian faith, he was persuaded by Mossad agents to fly the jet to Israel.

Israel soon struck a deal with the United States to study the aircraft, giving rise to Project Have Donut—intense dogfighting trials of American versus Soviet fighters aimed at securing air superiority.

Redfa’s sole condition was safe passage for his wife and family. Once they were secure, he flew the MiG-21 to the Israeli border and landed with only fumes left in the tanks. His story is memorialized in the 1988 film Steal the Sky. Valor is in you. Set it free.