MIG-21 aircraft during the decommissioning ceremony after completing service of around 62 years at the Chandigarh Airbase in Punjab on September 26, 2025.

| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday (September 26, 2025) described the MiG-21 as not just an aircraft or a machine but a testament to the deep ties between India and Russia, as the Indian Air Force formally decommissioned the iconic fighter jet at Chandigarh Air Force Station.“We bid farewell to the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 from its operational journey. I believe we are closing a chapter that will be written in golden letters not only in the history of the Indian Air Force, but in the history of our entire military aviation,” Mr. Singh said at the ceremony.The last of the MiG-21 jets, belonging to No. 23 Squadron, nicknamed Panthers, were given a grand send-off. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh led the final sortie of the MiG-21 Bison with the call sign Badal 3, demonstrating what the Defence Minister called “the credibility of this machine and the respect it holds in the hearts of air warriors.”A ceremonial switch-off of six MiG-21 aircraft in front of the dignitaries marked the culmination of the aircraft’s operational service. The aircraft document Form-700 was handed over to the Chief of the Air Staff by officers and airmen of 23 and Commanding Officer of 28 Squadron.The event was attended by former IAF chiefs A.Y. Tipnis, S.P. Tyagi and B.S. Dhanoa, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla — India’s first man on the International Space Station — and scores of veterans, many of whom had flown the aircraft. Pilots, engineers, technicians and ground staff who had worked with the MiG-21 also joined the farewell.The Surya Kiran aerobatic team, along with Tejas and Jaguar fighters, performed breathtaking manoeuvres during the ceremony.Recalling the MiG-21’s combat legacy, Mr. Singh highlighted its role in the 1971 war, the Kargil conflict, the Balakot airstrike and Operation Sindoor. “There has not been a single moment when the MiG-21 did not provide tremendous strength to our armed forces,” he said.He noted the symbolism of Chandigarh hosting the event, as the city was the induction site of No. 28 Squadron — the First Supersonics — that marked India’s entry into the supersonic era.On the future of India’s air power, the Defence Minister said the MiG-21’s legacy must serve as “a lesson and a DNA” for upcoming indigenous platforms. “We must consider the success of the LCA-Tejas as the beginning of our next mission, and instil confidence in our upcoming fighter aircraft, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA),” he said.The decommissioning of last squadrons of MiG-21-the No 23 (Panthers) and the No 3 (Cobras) has left the Indian Air Force’s fighter jet squadron strength to a mere 29 for all practical purposes, the lowest since the 1960s.A day before MiG 21 decommissioned, on Thursday, Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth over ₹62,370 crore (excluding taxes) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A for the Indian Air Force. Published - September 26, 2025 02:10 pm IST