September 26 was no ordinary day for the Indian Air Force, nor for the history of military aviation. The day marked the end of an era that spanned just over 62 years, during which the MiG-21 fighter guarded and defended India’s skies, both in times of peace and war. The farewell to the iconic combat aircraft was also preceded by confirmation that the country will move forward with the acquisition of additional units of its replacement, the LCA Tejas Mk1A, through the signing of a contract between the Indian government and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 97 aircraft.
The main MiG-21 retirement ceremony of the Indian Air Force took place at Chandigarh Air Station. Located in the capital of Punjab and Haryana states, it was the aircraft’s final home, where it operated as part of No. 28 Squadron “Panthers.”
The ceremony was led by India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who highlighted the service of generations of pilots and crews who served the nation from the MiG-21’s cockpit. Upon its induction in 1963, the aircraft marked a turning point for the Indian Air Force, ushering it into the supersonic era and enabling industrial development that would pave the way for HAL to produce its replacement today, as well as future generations of aircraft.
Officially introduced to counter Pakistan Air Force F-104s, the MiG-21 was a watershed moment for India, as from that point on, the country would count the Soviet Union—and later Russia—as one of its main suppliers of military equipment.
The aircraft’s low operating cost, the multiple payment options offered by the USSR at the time, and the possibility of licensed local production were key factors in the Indian Air Force’s decision to adopt it. Local production was no minor aspect: by the early 1970s, the country was not only assembling the aircraft but producing them with successive improvements, while also adding industrial capabilities that India continues to benefit from to this day.
That the MiG-21’s successor is a domestically produced fighter, the LCA Tejas, stands as proof of the importance the Soviet-origin aircraft had for the aviation industrial complex led by HAL, but supported by hundreds of companies across the country.
In the words of India’s Defense Minister: “The MiG-21 symbolizes the continuity of courage, discipline, and patriotism that will inspire the development of the indigenous LCA Tejas and the future AMCA.”
The importance of the MiG-21 to India was not only industrial. Since its induction into No. 28 Squadron in March 1963, after training and preparation in the Soviet Union, the fighter participated in every conflict the country has fought.
In those early years, the MiG-21 and its pilots proved that the decision to acquire it was the right one, when in December 1971 they engaged Pakistan’s F-104s in aerial combat, emerging victorious on four occasions.
It should also be noted that the aircraft served for many years in training hundreds—if not thousands—of Indian Air Force pilots. This must not go unmentioned, as toward the later stages of its service life, this role caused significant attrition in the fleet, with the negative result of a considerable number of operational accidents.
Finally, as noted, the MiG-21 passes the torch to a new generation of domestically produced aircraft, led by the new LCA Tejas light fighter, which is now entering service in new variants.
With its retirement, another Cold War warrior says goodbye—this one being, to date, the longest-serving of them all, with just over 62 years in service. The MiG-21 now enters the annals of military aviation history, leaving an indelible mark, joining the recently retired Sukhoi Su-22 of the Polish Air Force, the R/F-5 Tiger II of the Taiwanese Air Force, and the South Korean F-4 Phantom II.
Photographs: Ministry of Defense of India.
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