IAF Chief AP Singh MiG-21: Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and a group of Indian Air Force pilots went up for some special flights in the last MiG-21 fighter jets still flying in India. These flights happened at the Nal Air Force Station in Bikaner on August 18 and 19, just one month before the final goodbye ceremony that will take place in Chandigarh on September 26. It was a very emotional time because the MiG-21 has been part of India’s skies for more than sixty years.
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The Air Chief Marshal himself flew solo in the old supersonic jet and also joined a formation with other pilots. This event marked the beginning of the end of India’s long journey with the MiG-21.
After finishing his sortie, he said, “The MiG-21 has been the workhorse of the IAF since its induction in the 1960s and we are still continuing with it. It is one of the most mass-produced supersonic fighter jets in history, with over 11,000 aircraft operated by more than 60 countries. It’s an amazing aircraft to fly. It will be missed by all who flew it.”
Honouring the enduring legacy of MiG-21, the Chief of the Air Staff visited No. 23 Sqn “Panthers”, the last squadron operating the legendary fighter. The CAS flew a fighter sortie, and also in a formation led by Sqn Ldr Priya, symbolising both tradition and transformation. On 26… pic.twitter.com/gdeNk2ghbN
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) August 25, 2025
He also explained how even though the MiG-21 is very fast and agile, now the time has come to depend more on newer jets like the Tejas and the Rafale. The Air Force too made it clear that the Chief visited No. 23 Squadron “Panthers,” which is the last squadron still flying the MiG-21. He flew a sortie there and also flew in a formation led by Sqn Ldr Priya, showing both the old tradition and the new change that is coming. The IAF confirmed that the jet will retire officially on September 26, 2025, after serving India for six decades.
Service of MiG-21
India got its first MiG-21 in 1963. It was the first supersonic fighter in the country and soon became a symbol of pride. The jet showed its power in the 1965 war with Pakistan, then again in 1971 where it took down F-104s, and later even during the 1999 Kargil conflict. It was also used during the 2019 Balakot airstrikes where it even managed to shoot down an F-16.
IAF spokesperson Jaideep Singh reminded people of this history by saying, “MiG-21 has a history of shooting down all generations of aircraft. And the last one was the F-16, which was shot down. It had also shot down, in the 1971 war, the F-104s. The way the Indian Air Force has utilised the MiG-21 operationally, none of the air forces in the world have utilised this.”
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Over the years India had more than 870 MiG-21 jets in service and they took part in every big operation. The jet helped India control the skies many times and gave the Air Force a big strength. But the plane also had a sad side. Because of its old design and problems with safety, it suffered more than 400 crashes in 62 years, which caused the loss of over 200 pilots and 60 civilians. Even with this heavy price, the MiG-21 stayed as the heart of India’s Air Force for decades.
