NEW DELHI – India has retired its last fleet of Soviet-era MiG-21 fighter jets, concluding over sixty years of service with an aircraft once hailed for its combat capabilities but subsequently criticized as a “flying coffin” due to its frequent crashes.
The phasing out of these jets highlights the pressing need for the Indian air force to expand and modernize its air capabilities to address potential threats from its chief rivals, China and Pakistan.
The decommissioning leaves the air force with 29 fighter squadrons, well short of the 42 endorsed at one time by the government.
Each squadron comprises 16-18 fighter jets.
“If the dwindling of India’s fighter fleet is not promptly addressed, it will become increasingly difficult to counter neighboring adversaries equipped with advanced jets suitable for modern warfare,” stated N.C. Bipindra, a defense analyst based in New Delhi.
India is aiming to accelerate the induction of indigenous Tejas light-combat jets and potentially acquire foreign fighters, which would primarily be produced locally, to bolster its decreasing aircraft numbers, according to government officials.
India currently operates a fleet of French-made Rafales, Mirage 2000, Russian Su30s, MiG-29, and Tejas, among others.
Introduced in the 1960s, the sleek MiG-21 became the mainstay of the Indian air force and was deployed in conflicts with Pakistan and China. However, the frequent crashes of this supersonic aircraft raised safety concerns. Despite multiple upgrades, the aircraft’s technology continued to be outdated and challenging to maintain.
As per official records, India acquired 872 MiG aircrafts of different variants between 1966 and 1980, thereby becoming the largest operator of this aircraft globally.
Between 1971 and April 2012, as many as 482 MiG crashes were reported, killing 171 pilots, 39 civilians, 8 service personnel and 1 aircrew. Human error and technical issues were cited as the causes.
The crash data has not been updated since.
The crashes earned the fighters a grim nickname of “flying coffins” and inspired a blockbuster Bollywood movie “Rang De Basanti” in 2006 based on the death of a young MiG-21 pilot.
On Friday, the fighter was accorded a colorful farewell with a last sortie led by Air Force Chief, Air Marshal AP Singh in the presence of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh at the northern Indian air base of Chandigarh. Upon landing, the fighter was accorded a water canon salute.
“The MiG-21 has the distinction of being an aircraft which has trained generations of Indian fighter pilots. It was a joy to fly. It made me the fighter pilot I am today,” air force Group Capt. Indranil Nandi said.
The MiG-21 was once the most widely exported fighter, but only a few countries, including Cuba, Yemen, Syria, North Korea and some African nations now fly the updated variants in limited numbers.
To boost its depleted fighter strength, the air force has contracted to buy 87 Tejas from state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The deliveries expected last year have been delayed largely due to shortages of engines that must be imported from the U.S.
On Thursday, the Defense Ministry signed another contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to procure additional 97 Tejas for the air force. Deliveries are expected to start in 2027.
The air force is also considering a proposal in an early stage of procuring Rafale fighter jets that would be built locally by French company Dassault Aviation in partnership with an Indian firm.
The U.S is also keen on supplying the F-35 stealth fighters to India, but New Delhi hasn’t shown its inclination yet as it pushes for procurement of locally made jets.
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