India bids emotional farewell to MiG-21 after six decades of service

The Indian Air Force (IAF) formally bid farewell to its iconic MiG-21 fighter aircraft at a solemn decommissioning ceremony in Chandigarh on September 26, marking the end of a six-decade-long chapter in India's military aviation history.

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who presided over the event, described the MiG-21 as a "symbol of courage, discipline and patriotism" and said its legacy would live on in India's pursuit of self-reliance in defence.

"The MiG-21 taught us never to fear change but to embrace it with confidence. Its legacy will inspire the development of indigenous platforms such as LCA Tejas and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)," Rajnath Singh said, adding that when the world looks at India in the future, it should see “a nation that began with the MiG-21 and now leads with futuristic defence technologies”.

Inducted in 1963, the MiG-21 served as the backbone of the IAF for decades, with around 850 aircraft flying in Indian colours out of more than 11,500 produced globally. Singh hailed the jet as more than just a machine, calling it a “shield of national defence and a faithful companion of the armed forces”.