ADIOS, MiG-21!

The Bedrock of Indian Defence

- By Air Marshal Harish Masand, Vir Chakra (Retd)

As this venerable fighter—the bedrock of Indian defence—takes its final bow with the Indian Air Force on 26 September 2025 after over 62 years of distinguished service, it is time to set the record straight about an aircraft that has often been unfairly maligned.

The MiG-21 entered service in April 1963 with 28 Squadron, "The First Supersonics," at Chandigarh, as a counter to the American F-104 Starfighter supplied to the Pakistani Air Force in 1961. License-produced in India, the MiG-21's many variants soon equipped more than 24 IAF squadrons. Designed primarily as a high-altitude supersonic interceptor by the Soviet Union, the IAF ingeniously adapted it for multiple roles, including air-to-surface strikes and photo-reconnaissance.