MiG-21's curtain call: Iconic fighter jet flies into history

AFTER SIX DECADES OF SERVICE

- MPOST BUREAU

‘The iconic Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, which served as the backbone of the Indian Air Force (IAF) for over six decades, was retired on Friday in a solemn yet spectacular ceremony at the Chandigarh Air Force Station. The farewell marked the end of India’s supersonic journey that began in 1963 with the induction of the jet, closing a golden chapter in the country’ air power.

Under cloudless skies, the ceremony featured a ceremonial flypast, skydiving displays, and a water cannon salute to the legendary fighter jet. Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, Chief of Air Staff, flew the final sortie of the MiG-21 Bison, call sign Badal 3, before the jets roared overhead in threeand four-aircraft formations one last time. The Surya Kiran aerobatic team, along with Jaguar and Tejas aircraft, joined in the display, symbolising the transition from the MiG-21 to India’s future fighters.

The choice of Chandigarh as the venue carried symbolic weight: it was here that the No. 28 Squadron, the “First Supersonics”, first inducted the Russianorigin MiG-21 in 1963. On Friday, the same city witnessed the formal closure of its service. Veterans, former IAF chiefs, and hundreds of officers who had once piloted the aircraft joined the gathering, underscoring the jet’s unparalleled place in India’s military history. The MiG-21 was more than just another fighter jet; it was India’s first supersonic aircraft and a symbol of a maturing air force. At its peak, the IAF operated more than 870 MiG-21s out of the 11,500 built worldwide, making it one of the most extensively produced jets in global aviation history.