- Air Chief Marshal AP Singh handed over a MiG-21's Form 700 logbook to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
- Form 700 is the technical log of a fighter jet and contains complete record of maintenance and tech issues
- Handover of the Form 700 signifies an aircraft's retirement and its official removal from service records
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh led the last sortie of the MiG-21 today as the legendary aircraft fleet was decommissioned at a mega farewell in Chandigarh Air Force Base.
The Indian Air Force's (IAF) legacy workhorse flew in a formation of three aircraft in an inverted 'V' configuration.
The IAF's BAe Hawk Mk132 trainer aircraft and the Surya Kiran acrobatics team performed manoeuvres during the decommissioning ceremony.
Following a water cannon salute, in a symbolic gesture, the Air Chief Marshal handed over the aircraft's Form 700 logbook to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, marking the end of an era.
After the final sortie and Form 700 handover, the Defence Minister spoke on the history of the Russian-origin MiG-21 and how it has served the nation for six decades. He said the MiG-21 has seen many heroic deeds over the years and played an important role in multiple wars and missions.
"... From the war of 1971 to the Kargil conflict, or from the Balakot airstrike to Operation Sindoor, there has not been a moment when the MiG-21 has not provided tremendous strength to our armed forces," Mr Singh said.
Form 700 is the technical log of a fighter jet. It contains a complete record of maintenance, technical problems, and malfunction in machinery or components. Form 700 is kept in the fighter jet while it is in service.
The handover of Form 700 is considered a seal of an aircraft's retirement, officially removing it from service records.
Briefly, the contents of Form 700 have:
Maintenance records: This document keeps a complete record of the aircraft's health, i.e. any problems encountered during flight. It contains a complete record of any issues with the airframe or its systems.
Onboard requirements: Form 700 is kept during each aircraft flight so that it can be accessed whenever necessary to review the aircraft's maintenance status.
Communication tool: Ground technicians use Form 700 to report problems with the aircraft. Flight engineers use it to communicate between the crew and the maintenance team about the repairs.
