Chinese Chengdu J-7 fighter jets
A squadron of Chinese J-7 fighter jets in 1999.
  • China's last J-7 fighter jets may leave active service this year, according to Chinese state media.
  • J-7s, copies of the Soviet MiG-21, were introduced in the 1960s and have been called "grandpa jets."
  • China's air force may convert some J-7s into drones, which could be used in an attack on Taiwan.

The Cold War fighter that was once the mainstay of China's air force is finally being retired.

The last of the Chengdu J-7 — a Chinese copy of the 1960s-era Soviet MiG-21 — may be completely phased out of active service this year, according to the state-sponsored Chinese newspaper Global Times.