(Web Desk) - Following a humiliating defeat at the hands of Pakistan in recent conflict, India has decided to phase out its MiG-21 fighter jets.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Indian defence officials announced that the Indian Air Force would gradually retire its MiG-21 fighter jets by September 2025, after 62 years of service. These jets would be replaced by Tejas (LCA) Mark 1A combat aircraft.
Officials stated that the squadrons operating the MiG-21 jets are currently stationed at the Nal Air Force Base in Rajasthan. A defense official confirmed that the Indian Air Force will phase out the MiG-21 jets by September this year, and they will no longer be used.
The MiG-21 was India’s first supersonic jet, inducted into the Air Force in 1963 under an agreement with the former Soviet Union. The aircraft was also used in the 1965 Indo-Pak war.
The aircraft gained the grim nickname “Flying Coffins” due to many accidents. Official reports show that around 170 pilots and 40 civilians lost their lives in MiG-21-related incidents, including a major crash in May 2023 that killed three civilians near Suratgarh, Rajasthan.
It was also a MiG-21 that was shot down by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) during the 2019 standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Pakistan had also captured the pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan, who was later handed over back to India.
During the recent armed conflict between the two countries, India lost approximately five to seven aircraft, including Rafale and MiG-29 jets, to Pakistan. Following this defeat, India has made several significant defense decisions.