NEW DELHI: With just a month left before the MiG-21 is formally retired from service, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh and senior officers of the Indian Air Force (IAF) took to the skies in the iconic single-engine jet for one final sortie, marking the end of an era for India’s first supersonic fighter.
Inducted from Russia in 1963, the MiG-21 served for over six decades, participating in every major conflict involving India. Despite its agility and combat record, the aircraft was also notorious for its high crash rate, earning it a controversial legacy.
“It’s an amazing aircraft to fly, very agile and manoeuvrable… It will be missed by all who flew it,” ACM Singh said after his flight at the Nal airbase in Rajasthan. “But everything has a time and place. The technology is outdated and difficult to maintain now.”
Shifting to Modern Fighters
Calling it “time to move on,” Singh said the IAF’s future lies in newer platforms such as the indigenous Tejas, Rafale, and Sukhoi-30MKI. One of his farewell sorties was flown in formation led by Squadron Leader Priya Sharma, among the 20-plus women fighter pilots currently operating frontline jets.
Formal Farewell
The MiG-21, one of the most mass-produced supersonic fighters in history with over 11,000 units across more than 60 countries, will receive a ceremonial send-off at Chandigarh on September 26.
