After more than six decades of service, India will finally retire its remaining MiG-21 fighter jets in September.
According to The Indian Express, the last two MiG-21 Bison squadrons will be officially decommissioned on September 19 during a ceremonial event at the IAF airbase in Chandigarh.
First inducted in 1963, the Soviet-made jets were once the backbone of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Over 700 MiG-21s were procured in different variants, including the Type-77, Type-96, BIS, and the upgraded Bison.
But the MiG-21 earned the grim nickname “flying coffin” due to a long history of crashes—more than 400 jets have been lost, claiming the lives of over 100 pilots and civilians.
Notable incidents include the 2023 Suratgarh crash, which killed three civilians, and the 2019 India-Pakistan aerial dogfight, where a MiG-21 flown by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was shot down by the Pakistan Air Force.
The phasing out was initially planned by 2022 but faced delays due to the slow induction of replacements. The indigenous LCA Tejas will now take over the MiG-21’s role in the IAF fleet.
The retirement marks the end of an era for the IAF and its longest-serving fighter jet.
