The engine development was led by Tumansky and aided by engineers A. A. Mikulin and B. S. Stechkin for the Yakovlev Yak-25RV reconnaissance plane. It was first tested at the beginning of 1956. Over time many different variants of this extremely successful design have been made. In total, over 20,900 have been manufactured. In Hungary, the first MiG-21F-13s to arrive were equipped with this engine. The F-13 was the first MiG-21 to be mass produced and intended for export. The first planes arrived at the 47th Fighter Regiment at Pápa in 1961 and served until 1977.