New Delhi, September 26: The MiG-21 aircraft, which ruled Indian skies for 62 years and fought three wars with Pakistan, finally bid farewell to the Air Force’s air fleet today. With its last flight, this aircraft will be remembered not only for its saga of bravery and valor but also for the highest number of pilots killed.
After the MiG-21 bids farewell to the Chandigarh airbase, the indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas Mark-1A will replace it as the Air Force’s new strength.
The MiG-21, the first supersonic aircraft inducted into the Indian Air Force fleet in March 1963, has now completed 60 years. After serving the country for 50 years, it was retired on December 11, 2013. However, since the 1970s, the MiG-21 had been plagued by safety issues, resulting in the deaths of over 170 Indian pilots and 40 civilians. Between 1966 and 1984, nearly half of the 840 aircraft were lost in accidents. Most of these aircraft suffered engine fires or were destroyed by bird strikes. The MiG-21’s frequent crashes earned it the nickname “flying coffin.”
A favorite of pilots for its agility, precision strikes, and high speed, the MiG-21 was later upgraded to the MiG-21 Bison. The Russian company produced 11,496 MiG-21s, and the last MiG-21 was upgraded to the MiG Bison in 1985. This improved model addressed many of the shortcomings of the earlier MiG-21 variant. The Russian company also upgraded the 54 MiG-21 aircraft remaining with the Indian Air Force into the MiG-21 Bison. Subsequently, the Air Force’s MiG-21s were upgraded to the MiG-21 Bison, serving the country to this day.
The MiG-21, included in the Air Force’s fighter fleet, has established its dominance in the skies, defeating the enemy in every military operation, both large and small. Just two years after its induction into the fighter fleet in 1963, the MiG-21 first demonstrated its prowess in the 1965 India-Pakistan war, breaking the enemy’s back. Subsequently, in the 1971 war, it targeted the Raj Bhavan in Dhaka, forcing Pakistan to surrender. It then played a leading and crucial role in repelling the enemy during the Kargil War. The MiG-21 also played a leading role in producing thousands of trained pilots for the Air Force during its service.
The MiG-21 last made headlines when Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, using the same aircraft, shot down a state-of-the-art American F-16 fighter aircraft while countering the Pakistani Air Force’s response to the Balakot airstrike on February 27, 2019. Pakistan denies this. His MiG-21 was also shot down during the attack, forcing Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman to parachute. Landing in Pakistani territory, the Pakistani Army captured him, but he was released a few days later following diplomatic pressure.
Over the past six decades, the MiG-21 has enhanced the Indian Air Force’s firepower and strength with its power, agility, and precision strikes.
After the MiG-21’s retirement, the Air Force will be left with 29 fighter squadrons, compared to the current requirement for 42. After a long wait, on September 25, just a day before the MiG-21’s departure, the central government placed an order for 97 LCA Mark-1A fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force with HAL. HAL is now scheduled to produce a total of 180 LCA Tejas aircraft for the Air Force.
In the future, the new indigenous aircraft, the LCA Tejas Mk-1 and Mk-2, will replenish the Air Force’s depleted squadrons.