Marking the end of an era in Indian military aviation, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will formally retire its last MiG-21 fighter jets on September 19, concluding over six decades of service. The ceremonial send-off will take place at the Chandigarh airbase, led by the 23 Squadron, famously known as the Panthers.
Inducted into the IAF in 1963, the Soviet-origin MiG-21 has played a pivotal role in India’s defense history — from fierce dogfights in the 1965 and 1971 India-Pakistan wars to precision strikes in the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Balakot operations. The aircraft was also actively used during Operation Sindoor, further cementing its place in India’s aerial combat legacy.
Designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the former Soviet Union, the MiG-21 was once a symbol of supersonic air power and has served in nearly 60 countries. India emerged as the largest operator of the aircraft, and over the years, the fleet saw numerous upgrades, including the advanced MiG-21 Bison variant.
Despite being long past its intended service life, the MiG-21 fleet remained active largely due to delays in the production and induction of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A, which is set to replace it. Currently, the IAF operates two squadrons of MiG-21 Bison, consisting of 31 aircraft.
With the upcoming retirement of the MiG-21, the IAF will be closing a remarkable chapter in its history, bidding farewell to a jet that has shaped generations of Indian fighter pilots and defined aerial warfare for decades.
