After more than 60 years in service with the institution, the Indian Air Force is preparing to retire its Soviet-designed MiG-21 fighter jets, which became the country’s first supersonic combat aircraft upon their induction in 1963. This marks another step in the long process of replacing them with the domestically manufactured LCA Tejas Mk1A aircraft. According to reports from local media, the Air Force already has a retirement ceremony scheduled for the aging units of No. 23 Squadron, which is set to take place on September 19 at the Chandigarh Air Base.
Delving into some of the implications of this decision, Indian sources indicate that it would bring the Indian Air Force’s number of operational combat squadrons down to around 29—one of the lowest figures in its recent history. Specifically, it is estimated that the country currently operates about 36 MiG-21 aircraft, which, while still representing one of the largest formally active fleets of its type today, is only a small fraction of the more than 850 units that served the institution.
In that regard, the aging fighters arrived as an important symbol of air power in the region, especially considering that just over two-thirds of the aircraft flown by Indian pilots were license-built domestically. It is also worth recalling that over the six decades of service, the country operated several variants of the aircraft, including the MiG-21PF, MiG-21FL, and MiG-21Bis, among others.
Their service history is extensive, with highlights including participation in the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War, the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, and the 1999 Kargil War. However, they will leave behind a bittersweet legacy for the Indian Air Force upon retirement, primarily due to the large number of aircraft lost in various incidents. So much so that local reports often refer to them by the grim nickname “flying coffin,” a label stemming from what India considers to be over 400 accidents and nearly 200 pilot fatalities.
Finally, returning to the initial point, it is worth noting that India is currently in the process of incorporating its new LCA Tejas Mk1A fighters to replace the aging MiG-21s. This process currently envisions the construction of more than one hundred domestically built units, although production has been significantly delayed due to setbacks in the delivery of U.S.-made F404 engines intended to power them, which the country only began receiving in the middle of this month. Nevertheless, this will undoubtedly represent a major leap in capabilities for the Air Force’s fighter aviation.
*Images used for illustrative purposes only
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