The Indian Air Force on Friday retired its fleet of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighter jets after 62 years of service.

The farewell ceremony in Chandigarh was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan and the three service chiefs.

Singh said that the MiG-21 is deeply embedded in the memories and emotions of the country.

“For all of us, this is not just a fighter jet, but rather a family member with whom we have a deep attachment,” Singh said.

He added: “The MiG-21 has shaped our confidence, strengthened our strategy, and helped us establish ourselves on the global stage. In such a long journey, this fighter jet has faced every challenge and proved its capability every time.”

The Soviet-era jets played a crucial role in the 1971 and 1999 wars between India and Pakistan, and became the workhorse of the Air Force.

More than 850 MiG-21s of several variants were inducted by the Air Force over the decades, a majority of them built domestically by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

While other variants were gradually withdrawn over the years, the upgraded Bison was the last to retire on Friday.

The Indian Air Force is the last major air force to use the MiG-21.

Despite forming the backbone of the IAF fleet, the Mig-21 came to be known as the “flying coffin” or a “widow maker” in recent decades following several fatal accidents. Most crashes were attributed to mechanical failures linked to the aging body of the jets.

Parliament data shows that between the financial year 1971-’72 and April 2012, more than 170 pilots and 39 civilians were killed in more than 400 crashes and accidents. No official updated data is available.

With the withdrawal of the last two MiG-21 squadrons, the Air Force’s combat squadron strength dropped to 29. This is against the sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons. A fighting squadron typically has 16 to 18 jets.

The MiG-21s are being replaced by light combat aircraft Tejas, which started being inducted in 2016, and the Tejas Mk1A. The manufacturer is expected to begin delivering the latter variant in October.

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