The aircraft is currently located behind a residential compound for officials in An Xuyen Ward, Ca Mau Province.
The jet sits on an overgrown patch of land, with its fuselage badly deteriorated and paint peeling off. Several internal components have also gone missing over time, while the landing gear has sunk deep into the ground, suggesting the aircraft has been left unattended for many years.
The MiG-21 is more than 10 metres long, about 4 metres high and has a wingspan of roughly 6-7 metres.
Local records show the aircraft was brought to the former Minh Hai Province, now Ca Mau, in 1985 in coordination with Military Region 9 for public display marking the 10th anniversary of southern Vietnam’s liberation and national reunification.
It was later handed over to the province and moved to the Cao Thang area, now a residential compound for officials, where it continued to be exhibited.
However, the Ca Mau Museum said it has no archival records relating to the aircraft. As no agency had been assigned to manage or maintain it, the exhibit has gradually deteriorated.
Museum officials said they have proposed placing the aircraft under the museum’s management and implementing preservation measures.
In the short term, the museum plans to build a protective fence and assign staff to maintain the aircraft, while authorities consider surveying it and potentially relocating it to a more suitable display site.
