The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to retire its remaining fleet of MiG-21 fighter jets in September. The aircraft, which have served the IAF for six decades, will be formally decommissioned at Chandigarh airbase on September 19th.

The decision comes after at least four MiG-21 squadrons were retired between 2017 and 2024. The retirement of the remaining two active squadrons of MiG-21 Bisons will further reduce the IAF’s active fighter squadron strength from 31 to 29. The planned retirement was originally scheduled for 2022 but was delayed due to the late induction of replacement aircraft, such as the indigenous Tejas fighter jet.

One Mig-21 was shot down by Pakistan in 2019, with its pilot Abhinandan Varthaman being captured.

The MiG-21, procured in various versions since 1963, served as a key fighter jet for India. Over 100 were upgraded to the Bison variant in the last three decades, improving avionics and other systems. However, limitations in engine performance and load-carrying capacity, due to the airframe’s age, remained.

Despite its significant role in past conflicts, the MiG-21 has also been associated with numerous crashes, resulting in the deaths of over 100 pilots and some civilians. Recent crashes include one in May 2023 near Suratgarh, killing three civilians, and another in July 2022, resulting in the death of two pilots. The IAF’s planned retirement of the MiG-21 fleet marks the end of an era for the Indian Air Force.