Operation Moolah was a United States Air Force (USAF) effort during the Korean War to obtain through defection a fully capable MiG-15 jet fighter, which was at the time the Soviet Union's best fighter. Communist forces introduced the MiG-15 to Korea on November 1, 1950. USAF pilots reported that the performance of the MiG-15 was superior to that of United Nations aircraft, including the USAF's new F-86 Sabre. The operation focused on influencing Communist pilots to defect to South Korea with a MiG for a financial reward. The success of the operation is disputable since no Communist pilot defected before the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953. On September 21, 1953, North Korean pilot Lieutenant No Kum-Sok flew his MiG-15 to the Kimpo Air Base, South Korea, unaware of Operation Moolah.
Key Facts
| Subject | Operation Moolah |
| Category | US Air Force effort to obtain a Soviet MiG-15 |
| Reading time | 1 min · Advanced |
| Key date | 1950 |
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