The Indian Air Force is set to retire the iconic fighter jet MiG-21 after 62 years. The last jet will be given a ceremonial send-off on September 19 at the Chandigarh airbase by the 23 Squadron (Panthers).
Inducted into the Air Force in 1963, the MiG-21 is celebrated for its vital role in the India-Pakistan wars.
The aircraft, however, saw frequent crashes in recent years – more than 400 accidents and significant pilot casualties – earning him the controversial ‘flying coffin’ label.
India is currently the largest operator of MiG-21s.
The MiG-21, despite undergoing a flew of upgrades since its induction in the 1960s, has exceeded its intended service life.
Expanded into the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, it was designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Nearly 60 countries have flown the supersonic jet fighter.
The life extensions of the MiG-21 fleet were repeatedly increased due to the delay in the production and subsequent delivery of the indigenous LCA Tejas Mk1A, with which the former is intended to be replaced.
The IAF presently operates two squadrons of MiG-21 Bison, comprising 31 aircraft.
With the retirement of the MiG-21s, the Indian Air Force’s combat strength will drop to 29 squadrons – its lowest since the 1960s. The number is even lower than during the 1965 war, and below the IAF’s sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons.
