NEW DELHI: After serving for over six decades and participating in all major conflicts, the MiG-21 fighter jet is set to retire from the Indian Air Force, with a ceremonial farewell scheduled for September.The final MiG-21 jets, belonging to number 23 Squadron, known as the Panthers, will be retired on September 19 during a ceremony at the Chandigarh airbase. The aircraft leave behind a mixed legacy, once India’s first supersonic jets that provided a strategic edge in the 1960s and ’70s, they were later marred by frequent accidents, earning the nickname ‘flying coffin’.With the retirement of Squadron 23, the Indian Air Force’s combat strength will drop to just 29 squadrons, its lowest since the 1960s. Even during the 1965 war, the IAF maintained 32 fighter squadrons.Inducted in 1963, the MiG-21 fighter jets have served the Air Force for 62 years in various versions. They played key roles in the 1965 war with Pakistan, the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war, the 1999 Kargil conflict, and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes. Even during the ongoing Operation Sindoor, the last active MiG-21 squadron has remained on operational alert.“No other fighter has been associated with the IAF for as long as the MiG-21 – an incredible two-thirds of the IAF’s 93-year history is inextricably linked to this jet. It has served in every combat action since 1965, through to Op Sindoor, and has touched the career of nearly every Indian fighter pilot alive today, in some form or another. There is no doubt this will be an emotional farewell to a legend of Indian skies,” aviation expert Angad Singh was quoted as saying by the ET.Sources quoted by ET said ceremony will be attended by senior air force officials and veterans who have been associated with the MiG-21 fleet over the years. The event will feature flypasts and static displays to commemorate the occasion.In addition to holding the record for the longest service in the Indian Air Force, the MiG-21 fleet was also the largest ever operated by the country. India acquired over 850 MiG-21 aircraft, including trainer variants, with nearly 600 built domestically by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).Although the MiG-21’s operational life was considered long over, the Air Force continued extending the fleet’s service due to delays in acquiring sufficient modern fighter jets. The remaining squadrons were originally set to be replaced by the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Mk1A), but repeated delays in deliveries have pushed back the transition.With inputs from Manu Pubby
