The Indian Air Force (IAF) is retiring the iconic MiG-21 fighter aircraft on September 26, closing the curtain on a glorious chapter that has lasted more than six decades. The grand farewell and decommissioning ceremony will take place at Chandigarh Air Force Station, the same platform on which the aircraft was originally inducted in 1963.
The final of the jets, from the No. 23 Squadron, which is code-named “Panthers,” will be involved in a ceremonial flypast, with a water cannon salute on their last landing.
Historic Final Sorties & Formations
The ceremonial finale of MiG-21 operations will include a dramatic air display and a symbolic transfer.
Last Sortie: Air Chief Marshal AP Singh will take the last sortie of the Squadron in the call sign ‘Badal 3’ on Friday.
Flypast Formations: Fighter pilots will roar across the skies one last time in the three-aircraft ‘Badal’ formation and the four-aircraft ‘Panther’ formation.
Grand Ceremony: The ceremony will be graced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and will feature a thrilling exhibition by the IAF’s skydiving team ‘Akash Ganga’ and the accuracy of the air warrior drill team. The Surya Kiran aerobatics team will also perform stunning maneuvers.
Commemoration: A special postal stamp will be issued to commemorate the historic retirement of the aircraft.
The MiG-21 has remained a reliable warhorse and has played important roles in the 1965 and 1971 conflicts, the 1999 Kargil war, and the 2019 Balakot bombing.
Squadron Leader Priya Sharma: Pilot of Historic Flypast
Amongst the top pilots participating in the ceremonial flypast is Squadron Leader Priya Sharma, who also flew on Wednesday’s full dress rehearsal, being part of this momentous occasion.
Trailblazer: The seventh female fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force, Sharma was commissioned as a Flying Officer in 2018 upon graduation from the Air Force Academy, Dundigal.
IAF Background: A native of Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district, the engineer in qualification was prompted to join the Air Force by her father, who was posted at Bidar, where she observed Jaguars and Hawk aircraft flying as a child.
Symbolic Flight: Her role is also symbolic as she embodies the transformation of the IAF with a new generation of pilots, women as well as men in combat positions, taking the baton from the retiring fleet. She had flown in formation earlier during the IAF Chief’s MiG-21 farewell sorties at Nal Air Force Station in August.
Bureau Report
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