The last of the IAF's legacy fighter jet, MiG-21, retired today
It's a bittersweet day for the Indian Air Force (IAF) as its legacy fighter jet, the MiG-21, retires. The Russian-origin fighter jet's induction in the early 1960s catapulted the IAF into the jet age. Where will the retired jets be kept? We discuss.
Here's your 5-point cheatsheet to this big story
- While nothing is confirmed, it would not be a surprise to see a MiG-21 at the Air Force Museum in Delhi's Palam in the near future.
- Many of the retired jets would be headed to museums across the world. Some reports say a few MiG-21s may be maintained in flying condition to be used as a ceremonial vintage squadron.
- Whether it would be the upgraded MiG-21 Bison or an older version that will continue flying as part of a vintage squadron remains to be seen.
- The MiG-21 used to be the mainstay of the IAF for a long period of time. After its first induction, the IAF procured over 870 MiG-21s to boost its overall combat prowess.
- Six decades later, they are given a huge farewell at Chandigarh air base. The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is the closest successor to the MiG-21.
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