End of an era: MiG-21 makes its final sorties after six decades of service

Bikaner: The Indian Air Force's MiG-21 fighter jets, the backbone of its combat fleet for over six decades, made their last operational flights at the Nal Air Force Station in Bikaner, a month ahead of the formal retirement ceremony to be held in Chandigarh on September 26.

As part of the symbolic farewell, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh flew solo sorties of the MiG-21 from Nal on August 18-19, marking an emotional moment for the force and for generations of pilots trained on the Russian-origin fighter jet that served the force for 62 years.

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"The MiG-21 has been the workhorse of the IAF since its induction in the 1960s and we are still continuing with it. It is one of the most mass-produced supersonic fighter jets in history, with over 11,000 aircraft operated by more than 60 countries," Air Chief Marshal Singh told PTI after his sortie.

"My first experience with MiG-21 was in 1985, when I flew the Type-77 variant at Tezpur. It was a revelation -- agile, highly maneuverable, and simple in design, though it required some initial training. It's an amazing aircraft to fly. It will be missed by all who flew it."

Noting the jet's impressive performance as an interceptor, the IAF chief said, "At maximum reheat, it could climb more than 250 metres per second. It was made to intercept, and in that role, it served India remarkably well. But everything has a time and place. The technology is now outdated and difficult to maintain. It is time to move to new platforms such as the Tejas, Rafales and Su-30s." He also pointed at the continuity in IAF's design philosophy.

"Tejas was actually designed as a replacement for MiG-21. That is why it is a small aircraft. It was designed around MiG-21 and it was conceived from some kind of motivation from Mirage.

"It is going to replace MiG-21 quite well but it will have to evolve. We have to think of new weapons for Tejas also. In initial training role, I think Tejas can fit in very well. With contracts for 83 jets already signed and more lined up, I expect that Tejas in its various versions will gradually take over the fleet's role," Air Chief Marshal Singh said.

IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Jaideep Singh recalled the MiG-21's historic contributions in combat.

"The aircraft participated in the 1965 war and played a stellar role in the 1971 conflict, most notably in the attack on the governor's residence in Dhaka on December 14. The governor resigned the next day, and Pakistan surrendered on December 16 with 93,000 troops laying down their arms," he said.

"It later saw action in Kargil under Operation Safed Sagar in 1999, when a MiG-21 shot down a Pakistani Atlantic aircraft intruding into the Indian territory. In 2019, it was again in the headlines when it downed an F-16." The MiG-21 underwent several upgrades, most recently the Bison version equipped with modern avionics, radar and beyond-visual-range missiles.

The IAF currently operates two squadrons of the jet, which will be phased out next month.

The official farewell in Chandigarh, where the MiG-21 was first inducted in 1963, will mark the closure of a historic chapter in India's air power.