It was India's first supersonic jet, meaning it could fly faster than the speed of sound (332 meters per second). It will now be replaced by the Tejas LCA Mark 1A.
At MiG-21 bids farewell, Suryakiran team performs stunts in the sky. Suryakiran Team is the aerobatic display team of the Indian Air Force. It is considered one of the few and finest military aerobatic teams in the world.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the chiefs of the three armed forces and several officials of the Defence Ministry attended the retirement ceremony of MiG-21.
MiG-21 was a companion from Kargil to Operation Sindoor: Rajnath Singh
Rajnath Singh said, "Over a long period of time, the MiG-21 has witnessed numerous heroic deeds. Its contribution has not been limited to a single incident or a single war. From the 1971 war to the Kargil conflict, or from the Balakot airstrikes to Operation Sindoor, there has not been a moment when the MiG-21 has not provided tremendous strength to our armed forces."
At the farewell ceremony, Air Force Chief AP Singh flew its last sortie with six jets from 23 Squadron. Squadron Leader Priya Sharma also participated in the flypast. The aircraft was inducted into the Air Force in Chandigarh in 1963.
During its 62 years of service, the supersonic MiG-21 played a key role in the 1965 Indo-Pak War, the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, the 1999 Kargil War, and the 2019 Balakot airstrike.
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