INDIA. Mumbai: The Indian Air Force (IAF) bid farewell to MiG-21 Bison aircraft after nearly 57 years, marking the end of an era of fighter aircraft, when they were seen for the last time in the skies of Uttarlai in Barmer district, Rajasthan, on Monday.
The MiG-21 Bison flew alongside the Su-30 MKI to mark the occasion, during which personnel from all three services—IAF, Indian Navy, and Indian Army—were present.
The MiG-21 Squadron has served the country for approximately six decades and has significantly contributed to the war effort during Indo-Pak conflicts. The aircraft had played a pivotal role in the war.
The squadron known as “Oorials” has been operating the MiG-21 since 1966 and is now being re-equipped with the Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft. This change signifies the unwavering commitment of the IAF to modernise and protect the skies of the nation, as per an official statement.
The Russian-origin MIG-21 Bison had been one of India’s sixth fighter jets. It is a single-engine, single-seater multirole fighter aircraft.
As of now, the IAF operates nearly 50 MiG-21s across three distinct squadrons. Now a plan has been finalised to systematically decommission these older aircraft. The force is planning to replace the MiG-21 squadrons with the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark-1A, to fill the gap left by the outgoing MiG-21s. The first batch of LCA Mark-1A fighter jets is expected to be delivered around February 2024.
The IAF first acquired MiG in the early sixties. Then the force added nearly 870 of these fighters to bolster its aerial combat strength. The Bison had been the IAF’s most advanced MiG–21 variant. However, over 400 MiG-21s were involved in accidents that claimed the lives of around 200 pilots during the last six decades, turning the spotlight on India’s longest-serving fighter plane and its safety record.
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