WATCH | India retires legendary fighter jet MiG-21 after 63 years, final sortie marks end of an era

On Friday (Sep 26), Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid tribute to MiG-21 during the fleet’s decommissioning ceremony at Chandigarh. Speaking about the MiG’s contribution to the Air Force operations, he mentioned the 1971 war to the Balakot strikes and the most recent Operation Sindoor. He lauded the soldiers for their service to the country. During his address, Singh highlighted India’s friendship with Russia. He said, “MiG-21 is not merely an aircraft, it is a testimony of India-Russia relations.”

The last sortie of the MiG-21 was led by Air Chief Marshal A P Singh. The defence minister called it the end of an era, and the fleet was officially decommissioned.

MiG-21s receive a water gun salute

"Who can forget the 1971 war. During the war with Pakistan, in adverse circumstances, the MiG-21 attacked the Governor's House in Dhaka, and on that very day, it outlined the result of that war. Besides this, in its long history, there have been many such occasions when the MiG-21 proved its decisive capacity.”

BAe Hawk Mk132 aircraft of the Indian Air Force's Surya Kiran Acrobatics team perform manoeuvres

Mentioning historic missions, he noted that the MiG-21 has always enhanced the honour of the nation. The aircraft has scripted stories of courage, sacrifice, and excellence.

About MiG-21

The Soviet aircraft was dubbed the ‘flying coffin’ after many pilots lost their lives in service while flying the MiG. And in 2012, the then Defence Minister A K Antony had told the parliament that half of the 872 MiG fleet purchased from Russia were lost due to crashes. India has lost over 200 Indian Air Force pilots in crashes. The aircraft were inducted into the Air Force in 1963. The MiGs were decommissioned today after 63 years of service.