These initial Fishbeds served alongside the four remaining MiG-17Fs and saw combat on two occasions during the Agacher Strip War in 1974 against Upper Volta, and again in 1985 with the same country, now renamed Burkina Faso.

By January 2012, only one MiG-21MF and one MiG-21UM remained operational until they were grounded for lack of spare parts, ammunition, and pilots a few months later.

In January 2013, the Nigerian Air Force sent a technical team to Bamako–Sénou International, with the aim of refurbishing the MiG-21s, but the project was abandoned.

[7] In June 2015 the Malian government ordered Super Tucano light attack aircraft from the Brazilian company Embraer.

[11] In September 2023, the Malian government has lost their last Su-25 due to a crash caused by missile launched by Azawad rebels.