Air Chief Marshal AP Singh has taken the last time in MiG-21 just before retiring from the Air Force. On Monday (August 25, 2025), the Air Force chief flew with fellow fighter pilot squadron leader Priya on MiG-21 on the Naal airbase near Bikaner.

The next month i.e. on September 26, MiG-21 is retiring from the Air Force. The last squadron (23 squadron) of the MiG-21 is posted on the Naal airbase. While issuing a brief statement on the flying of Air Chief Marshall, the Air Force said that the Air Force chief visited 23 squadron panthers, honoring the MiG-21’s early heritage, which is the last squadron to operate this great fighter aircraft.

‘MiG-21’ fighter jet will be retired on this day

According to the Air Force, ‘Air Chief Marshal flew a combat and that too under the leadership of Squadron Leader Priya, which symbolizes both tradition and change. MiG-21 will retire after six decades of spectacular service in the Indian Air Force on 26 September 2025.

Despite the highest blowing for the last 62 years, the MiG-21 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force, which has been in controversy, is finally going to retire completely. Due to the frequent crash, MiG-21 was ‘ground’ for the last few years, ie the flying was almost closed.

Success in Operation Balakot

In 1963, MiG 21, built in Russia, was included in the Air Force fleet. This was India’s first supersonic fighter jet. After this, MiG-21 was constructed on the license from Russia in the country itself by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

In the last 62 years, the Air Force has operated around 850 MiG-21 fighter jets. From the 1965 Pakistan War to Operation Balakot (2019), MiG-21 protected the country’s air-space, when Wing Commander Abhinandan entered Pakistan and killed F-16 in the US.

170 pilot lives in MiG-21 crash

In the last 60 years, around 400 Air Force aircraft have crashed, after which there was a demand for these aircraft to be removed from the Air Force continuously. In view of the incidents of Crash of MiG-21, he was being named flying-kaffin. India’s 170 pilots have died in these accidents.

Instead of MiG 21 fighter jets, the Air Force needs the Mark-1A version of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, an upgrade version of LCA-Tejas. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited i.e. HAL is building these light fighter jets, but due to the delay in delivery of aviation engine (F-404) from the US, there has been a hindrance in the construction of Mark-1A.

LCA Mark-1A fighter jet buying green signal

In the month of March this year, the GE company of American had supplied the first engine, but in the last eight months, only two aviation engines have been able to meet America. Last week itself, the Cabinet Committee (CCS) related to security has given the green signal to buy 97 additional LCA Mark-1A fighter jets. Earlier in the year 2021, the Ministry of Defense had dealt with 83 LCA Mark-1A fighter aircraft from HAL. The total price of this deal was 48 thousand crores.

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