The fighter that shot down the Pak F-16 aircraft, the pride of India, MiG 21 is now history

After six decades of service, the MiG 21 fighter jets will bid farewell to the Air Force today. The ceremony to decommission the aircraft began at the Chandigarh air base. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh is the chief guest. With this, the 2 MiG 21 squadrons currently remaining in the Air Force will also become history. The decision has been made to use the indigenously developed Tejas Mk1A fighter jets to replace the MiG 21.

The 62-year service of the MiG 21 aircraft, which became part of the Indian Army in 1963, is history. The MiG 21 was the first supersonic aircraft of the Indian Air Force. They were first used in the Indo-Pak war of 1965 and later became the main weapon of the army. They were a crucial presence in the 1971 Bangladesh War and the 1999 Kargil War. Four squadrons of MiG-21s were retired between 2017 and 2024. The 51st Squadron based in Srinagar ceased operations in 2022. Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan and later released, was the wing commander of this squadron. The MiG-21 is also credited with shooting down a US-made F-16 fighter jet belonging to Pakistan in 2019.

While it has remained a force to be reckoned with, the MiG-21 has been plagued by a series of accidents. It is reported that there have been more than 400 accidents in the past 6 decades. More than 100 pilots and civilians have died. There has been a long-standing demand to phase out these aircraft due to their obsolescence. With the demise of the MiG-21 squadron, the IAF's fighter jet strength will be at its lowest in history - 29 squadrons. In the current scenario, the IAF is expected to have 42 squadrons. Each squadron will consist of 16-18 fighter jets.

The Defence Ministry and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) had signed a Rs 62,370 crore deal to buy 97 more Tejas Mark 1A aircraft. The deal includes 68 fighter jets and 29 twin-seat trainers. The aircraft will be delivered from 2027-28. They will be fully delivered within 6 years.