From runways to history books: A pictorial tribute to the MiG-21

MiG-21 figher aircraft of Indian Air Force

The deafening roar of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 FL afterburner , once the sound of India’s entry into the supersonic age, is set to fall silent forever on Friday . As the Indian Air Force(IAF) retires its last MiG-21s, the country bids goodbye to an aircraft that defined its military aviation story for more than six decades.  The MiG-21 was the first supersonic fighter in service of the IAF.

A farewell will be bid to the fighter jets, which have been part of the IAF's combat fleet since the 1960s, at a decommissioning event in Chandigarh, where the iconic aircraft was first inducted over six decades ago.

Inducted in 1963, the MiG-21 was not merely a fighter jet but a symbol of India’s growing strength and confidence. Over the years it became the backbone of the Air Force, writing its name into history during wars, conflicts, and countless peacetime missions.

The supersonic beginning

Though limited in numbers during the 1965 war, the MiG-21’s presence was felt. Its true moment of glory came in the 1971 war, when it gave the IAF vital air superiority in the western theatre. In what became the subcontinent’s first supersonic dogfight, a MiG-21 FL shot down a Pakistani F-104 Starfighter using only its twin-barrelled guns. By the end of the conflict, MiG-21s had destroyed four F-104s, two F-6s, one F-86 Sabre, and even a Lockheed C-130 Hercules.

Photo: IAF

Striking symbolism in Dhaka

One of the most iconic missions of 1971 came when MiG-21s carried out a precise strike on the Governor’s House in Dhaka — a symbolic attack that pushed Pakistan towards surrender.

Photo: IAF

Even decades later, the aircraft proved its relevance. During the 1999 Kargil war, MiG-21s were often the first choice for commanders, valued for their agility, rapid acceleration, and quick turnaround. Their versatility shaped the IAF’s operational philosophy for generations, and pilots and engineers alike vouched for their combat reliability.

Photo: IAF

The MiG-21’s contribution was not limited to the battlefield. Its induction also brought a leap in India’s aerospace technology and manufacturing, laying the groundwork for future indigenous capabilities.

From the 1960s through to 2019 — when a MiG-21 Bison famously shot down a Pakistani F-16  the aircraft stood as a symbol of resilience and power. Its retirement now marks the close of a historic chapter in Indian military aviation.

Photo: IAF

MiG-21: Final Chapter

With the MiG-21’s phasing out, the IAF bids farewell to more than just a fighter jet. It marks the end of an era defined by relentless performance, precision strikes, and unmatched adaptability, qualities that earned the MiG-21 a place not just in India’s skies, but also in its history books.