After the MiG-21: An urgent call for India’s next-gen jets

THE MiG-21’s final flight over Chandigarh on September 26 symbolised more than the retirement of an aircraft; it marked a transition in how India must think about air power. For decades, this Soviet-era fighter was more than a machine — it was a statement of intent by a young nation eager to secure its skies. Its endurance reflected India’s ability to stretch limited resources, but also the tendency to delay modernisation until crises forced change. The MiG’s twilight years exposed those vulnerabilities. The jet’s longevity became its weakness. Over 300 crashes and repeated technical snags turned it into the dreaded ‘flying coffin’. Though poor training and overstretched airframes often explained the accidents, the risks became unsustainable. These were indicators of an overreliance on imported platforms without sufficient investment in indigenous development.