NEW DELHI: India retired its last fleet of Soviet-era MiG-21 fighter jets on Friday (Sep 26), ending more than six decades of service with an aircraft once celebrated for its combat prowess but later derided as a “flying coffin” due to frequent crashes.
The phaseout underscores the urgency for the Indian air force to expand and modernise its air fleet to counter potential threats on two fronts from its archrivals China and Pakistan.
The decommissioning leaves the air force with 29 fighter squadrons, well short of the 42 endorsed at one time by the government.
Each squadron comprises 16-18 fighter jets.
“If the drop in India’s fighter fleet is not arrested quickly, it will make it challenging to counter neighbouring adversaries that have advanced jets for modern-day warfare,” said NC Bipindra, a New Delhi-based defence analyst.
India is banking on speeding the introduction of homegrown Tejas light-combat jets and possibly acquiring foreign fighters that would largely be built locally to supplement its depleting strength, government officials said.
India currently operates a fleet of French-made Rafales, Mirage 2000, Russian Su-30s, MiG-29, and Tejas, among others.
Inducted in the 1960s, the needle-nosed MiG-21 formed the backbone of the Indian air force and saw action in wars with Pakistan and China. But frequent crashes of the supersonic warplane drew safety concerns. Despite several upgrades, the plane’s technology remained outdated and difficult to maintain.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/india-retires-mig-21-flying-coffin-soviet-fighter-jet-after-six-decades-5371221
