The Indian Air Force prepares to bid adieu to its iconic MiG-21 fighter jet on September 26, with Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, set to lead the farewell flypast. This marks a rare occasion for a Chief of the Air Staff to take the controls during such an event.
Commissioned in 1963, the MiG-21, often dubbed the “backbone” of India’s air power, has served nearly six decades, earning a place in military aviation history despite earning the moniker “flying coffin” due to a spate of accidents in the 1990s and 2000s.
The aircraft’s first squadron, 28 Squadron or ‘First Supersonics’, raised in Chandigarh, heralded India’s entry into supersonic air combat. Over the years, the MiG-21 saw extensive action, from the 1971 war with Pakistan, where it struck the governor’s residence in Dhaka, to operations as recent as 2019, engaging aircraft like the F-16. It also served prominently during the Kargil conflict.
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Air Chief Marshal Singh will personally fly a sortie to honour the MiG-21’s legacy, which trained generations of fighter pilots and influenced operational philosophies with its high agility, rapid acceleration, and quick turnaround.
Known as ‘Badal’ in IAF service, a total of 874 MiG-21s across various variants – T-66, T-77, T-69, T-96, T-75, and Bison – were inducted. Today, only 3 Squadron (Cobras) and 23 Squadron (Panthers) operate the jet. The MiG-21 Bison (CU-2788) is the oldest in active service.
The retirement paves the way for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark 1A to gradually replace the MiG-21 in India’s fighter fleet, signalling a shift to the next generation of air combat capabilities.
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