MiG-21 to be phased out on September 19, IAF to hit lowest combat strength in decades

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will formally retire its last MiG-21 fighter jet on September 19, ending a six-decade legacy. However, it will also plunge the IAF to its lowest combat strength in the past few decades.

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The IAF has issued advertisements in newspapers, saying a phase out ceremony of the MiG-21 would be held at Chandigarh air base on September 19 and invited veterans to join in.

Presently, the IAF has two MiG-21 squadrons. Their phase out would reduce the number of fighter jet squadrons to 29, the lowest in decades, said sources.

As per a decision of the Cabinet on Security (CCS), the IAF needs 42 squadrons of jets for a two-front collusive war with Pakistan and China. Each squadron has 16-18 jets.

The induction of the Tejas Mark-1A fighter jet, aimed at bolstering the numbers, has been delayed. Delivery of the first jets were to start in March 2024 with atleast 16 planes to be delivered to IAF every year. So far, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the manufacturer, has not delivered a single Tejas Mark-1A.

Ironically, the MiG-21 phase out ceremony would be held in Chandigarh, the same air base where the first six MiG-21s arrived in April 1963. These aircrafts became part of the IAF squadron named ‘The First Supersonics’. The planes were received in Mumbai in a disassembled condition and had been put together by a team of Soviet engineers and test-flown by their pilots.

In all, India has sourced 874 MiG-21s since 1963, including 657 license-produced by HAL. Over the years, avionics, missiles and radars were upgraded with newer versions.

Over the past 62 years, MiG-21s have been part of various operations, including the 1971 Bangladesh War, the 1999 Kargil conflict and the most recent air duel after the Balakot airstrike. Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman was flying a MiG-21.

In all, nearly 490 MiG-21s have been involved in accidents or crashes, killing over 170 pilots.

After the first MiG-21s arrived, six MiG-21PFs (Type 76) were inducted in 1965, followed by 250 MiG-21 FL (Type 77) variant. Later, the plane saw another variant called MiG-21M/MFs (Type 96). The most recent variant is MiG-21 Bis (Type 75).

The IAF had planned to have a replacement for MiG-21 ready by 1994. The last of the MiG-21 Bis was produced in 1985, 38 years ago.

The original MiG-21 was a point defence fighter and until the MiG-21 Bis variant was inducted into the IAF, the jet was designed for air-to-air combat and that too within the visual range of the pilot using short-range air-to-air missiles.

The MiG-21 was developed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the former Soviet Union and took its maiden flight in 1955.