MiG-21’s Final Flight: India Bids Farewell to Legend
Iconic MiG-21 jets retire after six decades of service.
Indian Air Force (IAF) bid a grand farewell to its legendary Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighter jets, which soared through Indian skies for the last time on Friday, September 26, 2025, at a ceremonial decommissioning event in Chandigarh. The Russian-origin warhorse, a cornerstone of India’s air power for over six decades, was celebrated under clear blue skies, marking the end of an era for the nation’s first supersonic fighter and interceptor aircraft.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the chief guest at the event, hailed the MiG-21 as a “mighty machine and a national pride” that symbolized the deep ties between India and Russia. “The MiG-21 is not just an aircraft but a testament to our military aviation heritage and the confidence it instilled in us,” Singh told a distinguished gathering that included former IAF chiefs A Y Tipnis, S P Tyagi, and B S Dhanoa, as well as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s first astronaut to the International Space Station. Veterans, many of whom had piloted the iconic jet, also attended, adding to the emotional weight of the occasion.
The ceremony, held at the Chandigarh airbase where the MiG-21 was first inducted in the 1960s, was a spectacle of pride and precision. It commenced with a breathtaking display by the IAF’s elite ‘Akash Ganga’ skydiving team, who parachuted from 8,000 feet, followed by a majestic flypast featuring the MiG-21 Bison in the three-aircraft Badal formation and the four-aircraft Panther formation. Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, call sign Badal 3, led the final sortie, paying tribute to the jet’s storied legacy. The Surya Kiran aerobatic team further enthralled the audience with their daring maneuvers, while Jaguar and Tejas aircraft joined the flypast, symbolizing the transition to modern air power. The MiG-21s of the No. 23 Squadron received a ceremonial water cannon salute, a fitting adieu to their service.
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Introduced in the 1960s, the MiG-21 became the backbone of the IAF, with over 870 aircraft procured to bolster combat capabilities. The supersonic jets played pivotal roles in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars, the 1999 Kargil conflict, and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes, earning a revered place in India’s military history. The aircraft’s first squadron was led by Dilbagh Singh in 1963, who later became IAF chief in 1981. However, the MiG-21’s legacy is bittersweet, marred by a troubled safety record with numerous crashes, leading some to label the ageing fleet as “legacy coffins.”
The final operational flights of the MiG-21 took place in August 2025 at Nal Air Force Station in Rajasthan’s Bikaner, where Air Chief Marshal Singh flew solo sorties on August 18-19, marking a symbolic farewell. The Chandigarh ceremony formalized the retirement, closing a chapter that shaped India’s air dominance. As the IAF transitions to advanced platforms like the Tejas, a single-engine multi-role fighter designed for high-threat environments, the MiG-21’s departure evokes nostalgia and pride, reminding the nation of its enduring contributions to security and sovereignty.
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