MiG-21 did IAF proud, but overstayed its welcome

THE legendary MiG-21 aircraft is set to fly into the sunset after having served as the mainstay of the Indian Air Force (IAF) for decades. The Russian-origin fighter jet, which was inducted in 1963 in the wake of the India-China war, made its presence felt in the 1965, 1971 and 1999 wars against Pakistan, besides the 2019 Balakot airstrikes. However, its safety record repeatedly came under scrutiny. According to government data, more than 500 MiG-21s crashed in 60-odd years, killing over 170 pilots; these mishaps claimed the lives of dozens of civilians as well. The notorious tag of “flying coffin” was too hard to shed.