MiG-21's Final Flight Marks End of an Era for Indian Air Force

The Indian Air Force's MiG-21 aircraft, which established its empire over the skies of India for 6 decades, is now heading towards its final flight. In the month of September, the MiG-21 will be given its final farewell at the Chandigarh Air Force Airport. With this, an era of the Indian Air Force will come to an end. The MiG-21 was designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau of the Soviet Union. Our friendship between India and the Soviet Union (now Russia) has been very deep since independence and it has not only contributed to India's development but also provided India with everything from defense material to fighter planes to counter its enemies.

The MiG-21 was inducted into the Indian Air Force for the first time in the 1960s. This supersonic fighter jet soon became the backbone of the Indian Air Force. It was difficult to stand before its speed and agility. Its specialty was that it could fly at a speed of 2230 kilometers per hour. It was because of the MiG-21 that India destroyed Pakistan's plans. Although it was used very little in the 1965 war, but in the 1971 war it rained such death on East Pakistan that the war ended. On 14 December 1971, four MiG-21s of the Indian Air Force took off from the Guwahati airbase and attacked the Governor House in Dhaka and razed it to the ground and this was one of the biggest turning points of the 1971 war. MiG-21 also showed its prowess in the Kargil war. The Indian Air Force also lost a MiG-21, but drove away the Pakistanis who had entered the peaks of Kargil. After this, after the Balakot air strike, when the Pakistani Air Force tried to enter Indian territory with its F-16 and JF-17, Wing Commander Abhinandan shot down a Pakistani F-16, considered to be the most powerful in the world, with his MiG-21 Bison.

With time, the MiG-21 became old. With the advent of new technology and the changing nature of wars, the MiG-21 lost its importance. After a few years, this aircraft started becoming a victim of accidents. Then it started being called a flying coffin. Since 1971-72, more than 400 jet aircraft have been victims of accidents. Most of these were MiG-21. These accidents have taken the lives of more than 200 pilots and 50 civilians on the ground in the last decades. The Indian Air Force was trying to retire it for a long time but finally it decided to say goodbye to it. Old technology, maintenance challenges and complex conditions have made its flying risky.

A major reason for the departure of the MiG-21 is also the modernization of the Indian Air Force. The Indian Air Force is now focusing on other modern aircraft including Rafale, Sukhoi-30 MKI, Tejas, Jaguar. At the same time, the indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas has started replacing the MiG-21. Apart from this, the needs of modern warfare, stealth technology, drones and long-range missiles have changed the condition and direction of war. In such a situation, the MiG-21 has become irrelevant in the race of modernity. The MiG-21 is not just a fighter supersonic aircraft, it has also been a training platform for the new generation of Indian Air Force pilots. It taught hundreds of pilots the art of supersonic flight and war. The small size, amazing speed and strength of the MiG-21 made it very important for Indian conditions. It will also always be remembered for the friendship between India and Russia.

Now the Indian Army has received the first batch of Apache helicopters from America. This will greatly increase the attack and operational capability of the Indian Army. Apart from Apache, the Indian Army also has the indigenous attack helicopter LCH Prachand. Apache helicopter can target 128 targets in a minute and it can locate the enemy even in darkness.

It is said that weapons are very important to protect the scriptures. The number of fighter planes in the Indian Air Force is constantly decreasing while China's military power is increasing. Therefore, India is constantly engaged in strengthening its defense line. India has Sukhoi, 30 MKI, Dassault Rafale, Dassault Mirage and indigenous fighter aircraft Tejasvi. Recently, during Operation Sindoor, India carried out precision attacks on 11 airbases of Pakistan in just 22 minutes to destroy its air counter capability and destroyed its command center and radar installations. This four-day war was between two nuclear rivals but it exposed the strategic values of multi-purpose strike fighter aircraft and latest weapons. India is becoming self-reliant in defense production and it is a matter of pride that India has also become an exporter of defense material.