The MiG-21: The Fighter That Finally Said Goodbye

The Aircraft That Guarded Indian Skies for More Than Six Decades

Imagine being 13 years old in the 1960s and looking up to see something India had never operated before:

a fighter aircraft capable of flying faster than sound.

That aircraft was the MiG-21.

The MiG-21 entered Indian Air Force service in 1963 and became the IAF’s first supersonic fighter aircraft.

Over the decades, around 850 MiG-21s served with the Indian Air Force, making it one of the most important combat aircraft in India’s military aviation history.

The fighter saw action in major conflicts including the:

• 1965 India-Pakistan War
• 1971 India-Pakistan War
• Kargil conflict

For generations of Indian pilots, the MiG-21 was far more than an aircraft.

It served as an interceptor, air-defence fighter, trainer and ground-attack aircraft.

It was fast.

It was compact.

It was demanding to fly.

And its sharp nose and delta wing made it instantly recognisable.

The Final Flight

Then came 26 September 2025.

At Chandigarh, where India’s MiG-21 supersonic journey had begun with No. 28 Squadron, the aircraft flew its final operational sortie.

Six MiG-21s were ceremonially switched off, and their aircraft documents were handed over to the Chief of the Air Staff.

A joint flypast with the indigenous LCA Tejas created a powerful image:

one generation handing the Indian sky to the next.

The Indian Air Force later described the MiG-21 as having completed 62 years of illustrious service.

More Than an Old Fighter

For a teenager today, the MiG-21 may simply look like an aircraft from another era.

But for India, it represents something much bigger.

It represents the moment the country entered the supersonic age.

It trained generations of fighter pilots.

It guarded Indian airspace.

It fought in wars.

And for more than six decades, it remained part of the Indian Air Force story.

Then, after 62 years,

the old fighter finally said goodbye.

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