The North News
Chandigarh, September 21
India has bid farewell to the MiG-21, its longest-serving fighter jet, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh calling it a “faithful companion” of the air force and a symbol of the nation’s military rise. At a decommissioning ceremony in Chandigarh on Friday, the Defence Minister recalled the aircraft’s defining role in India’s conflicts, from its strikes on Dhaka during the 1971 war to the Kargil conflict, the Balakot airstrikes and Operation Sindoor. “In every historic mission, the MiG-21 carried the Tricolour with honour,” he said.
Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh flew the final sortie of the MiG-21, taking to the skies with the call sign ‘Badal 3’, as the last jets of No. 23 Squadron, the Panthers, were retired.
Inducted in 1963, the Soviet-designed jet became the backbone of the Indian Air Force (IAF), with about 850 serving over the decades. More than 11,500 were built worldwide, a testament to its versatility. In India, the MiG-21 served as an interceptor, ground-attack aircraft, air defence platform and trainer, grooming generations of pilots. Singh called it the “bird of all seasons” and said its role in shaping air strategy “cannot be overstated”.
The minister praised Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for decades of upgrades – from radars to avionics – that kept the jet relevant. He rejected claims that the aircraft was outdated, noting that those retired now were no more than 40 years old, a typical lifespan for fighter jets.
But the event was more than military ritual. Singh drew on Indian tradition to frame the farewell as an act of gratitude: “Just as we worship the earth, rivers, trees and tools that serve us, today’s farewell to the MiG-21 is an act of gratitude towards a machine that protected our skies for over 60 years.” He likened the moment to the weapon rituals of Dussehra.
Chandigarh was a fitting backdrop, he said, as it was where the IAF’s “First Supersonics” squadron began flying the MiG-21. “History comes full circle as we bid farewell from the same soil,” he remarked.
The ceremony featured an elaborate flypast led by Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, with MiG-21s, Jaguars and a symbolic joint formation with India’s indigenous Tejas aircraft – marking the transition from the ageing Bison to the homegrown fighter. Skydivers, aerobatic displays and drill performances underscored the end of an era for India’s most iconic jet.
