Key Points

The MiG-21 has long been the backbone of India's aerial might, representing the courage, precision, and resilience of generations of Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots.

The farewell ceremony took place at Chandigarh Air Force Station, where the supersonic jet, the longest-serving fighter in IAF history, was formally decommissioned.

Inducted in 1963, the MiG-21 trained generations of pilots and proved its mettle in multiple conflicts, including the 1965 and 1971 wars, and the 1999 Kargil War, becoming more than just a fighter jet, a representation of IAF's power and capability.

Speaking ahead of the decommissioning, Squadron Leader SS Tyagi (Retd.), who holds the highest flying hours on the MiG-21, told ANI, "We passed on our learnings to our juniors. Amid all the lessons and training, my flying hours kept increasing. I had never thought I had to reach this milestone... We didn't have many aircraft in 1965... MiG-21 actually participated in a war in 1971, where it did rocketry, gunnery, dropped bombs, and achieved various targets in Dhaka... I would give 80 per cent of the credit to MIG-21 for our victory in 1971."

Group Captain Malik (Retd.) said, "I have flown all three versions of MiG-21s for almost 24 years... It was my life, and now it is going to be a part of my life. It's a mixed feeling... Each moment is emotional, when we are bidding farewell to this aircraft, and I swear there is nothing better than this aircraft."

Despite its legendary status, the MiG-21 was also known among pilots as a "flying coffin" due to its challenging handling and high accident rate in earlier decades.

Wing Commander Jaideep Singh had earlier told ANI, "Flying a MiG-21 demanded precision and courage. Many pilots took their first supersonic flights in this aircraft, knowing the risks. Yet, its speed, agility, and responsiveness made it a jet that taught you everything about fighter flying."

Wing Commander Singh added, "It is an emotional moment for everyone, especially the pilots who have flown the MiG-21. This fighter plane has served for more than six decades. It was inducted in 1963 into the Indian Air Force. This iconic fighter plane took part in the 1965 war operations. In 1971 war MiG-21 was fully deployed. We have used them extensively in that war. It was used in bombing role, notable one was bombing on Tej Gaon and Kurmitola airfield. In East Pakistan, most of the operations were done from that airfield. Attack on the governor's residence by MiG-21 led to Pakistan's surrender with 93 thousand PoW."

He added, "In 1999, during Operation Safed Sagar, MiG-21 was deployed, and with this aircraft, we destroyed Pakistan's control and command centres at those heights. Subsequently, it was also deployed in various international exercises. In 2019, Operation Balakot, with this aircraft, Abhinandan shot down an F-16. In the latest Operation Sindoor, it was deployed operationally. Now, after 62 years, we are here at the same place where it was inducted. It was inducted as the first supersonic and not the last squadron of MiG-21, which we are flying."

Interestingly, its journey ended where it began.

The first squadron, 28 Squadron at Chandigarh, nicknamed 'First Supersonics', was raised in March 1963 with the MiG-21 T-74 under the command of Wing Commander Dilbagh Singh, who later became Chief of Air Staff. The squadron was deployed in the 1965 war for air defence duties and later converted to the MiG-21 FL (Type-77) for the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Its 1971 strike on the Governor's residence in Dhaka helped trigger Pakistan's surrender and the liberation of Bangladesh. The squadron earned battle honours in 1995 for its role in the 1971 air offensive.

Earlier, Group Captain Indraneel Nandi said, "It has had a very rich and powerful history in the Indian Air Force. Not only in operational roles but also in the training roles. We all have learned the fighter flying with this aircraft. It does hold a very special place in the heart of all in the Airforce."

On its successor, he added, "Tejas was planned as the replacement of MiG-21. As time has passed, the Tejas itself has been upgraded, keeping in mind the reality of modern-day combat. I am sure that Tejas will do a great job while replacing and carrying the legacy of MiG-21."

The MiG-21 underwent multiple upgrades over its service life. The latest version, the MiG-21-93 or Bison, features advanced radar, avionics, and high-off-boresight Vympel R-73 missiles, making it capable in close combat even against modern aircraft.

Wg Cdr Singh highlighted its combat record: "MiG-21 has a history of shooting down all generations of aircraft. And the last one was the F-16, which was shot down. It had also shot down, in the 1971 war, the F-104s. The way the Indian Air Force has utilised the MiG-21 operationally, none of the air forces in the world have utilised this."

Its operational legacy includes retaliatory action against to Pakistani F-16 and other fighters in theitr strike package following the failed "Swift retort", where Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16, and this year's Operation Sindoor.

"Almost every pilot in the Indian Air Force, not just recently but over the decades, has flown the MiG-21 before moving on to other aircraft. We are going to miss them," Wg Cdr Singh said.

For nearly sixty years, the MiG-21 trained and tested generations of pilots, serving as both a frontline fighter and a training aircraft. The motto of squadron 28, "Sanharancha Karothi Ya," meaning "Determined to Destroy," reflected its ethos. The nimble fighter's speed, agility, and versatility made it one of the premier interceptors of the IAF.

Earlier this month, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh flew a sortie in the MiG-21 to honour its legacy. The aircraft is likely to be succeeded by the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark 1A, continuing the legacy of India's first supersonic .

- ANI