Farewell MiG-21: Kargil War, Abhinandan Varthaman, Accidents Colour A 60-Year Legacy
Perhaps no other fighter has been associated with the IAF for as long as the MiG-21. From an infamous nickname to a blockbuster movie to headlines about Wing Commander Abhinandan, the MiG-21's legacy is coloured with many notable events. Image courtesy: RNA
MiG-21 retirement: Nothing lasts. The philosophy holds true for almost anything and everything. After soaring in the skies for around 6 decades, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is finally set to retire this year in September.
The Russian-origin fighter jets have played an indispensable role in the Indian Air Force.
In a farewell to the remainder of the iconic jets, a ceremonial decommissioning will take place at the Chandigarh airbase on September 19, media reports suggest.
Why MiG-21 fighter jets came to India
Russian MiG-21s are one of the 6 fighter jets that the Indian Air Force (IAF) operates. Now set to retire, MiG-21s were inducted by the IAF in 1963 as the country’s first supersonic fighter jet. India felt the need for a supersonic jet in view of the tensions it had with China in 1962 and the conflict with Pakistan. During this time, the US had already supplied one of its newest aircraft – F-104 Starfighter – to Pakistan.
While India had considered inducting the F-104 to the IAF fleet, the US didn’t show much interest in supplying them in large numbers. Incidentally, the F-104 Starfighter went on to be known as ‘The Widowmaker’, because of its high accident rate.
An eventful service history
The MiG-21, single engine, single-seater multi-role fighter aircraft, went on to serve in every major conflict, from the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan, the 1999 Kargil War, to the Balakot airstrikes in 2019.
Over these 62 years, India has procured over 800 MiG-21 aircraft of different variants. These include Type-77, Type-96 and the BIS. MiG-21 Bison, which is the latest to be inducted, is an upgraded aircraft with advanced missiles and radars and better avionics.
The Russian fighter jet has proved its mettle in these wars. In the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, the MiG-21s played a big role. Likewise, these jets were also a part of the IAF in the 1965 war and the 1999 Kargil conflict with Pakistan.
Perhaps no other fighter has been associated with the IAF for as long as the MiG-21. From an infamous nickname to a blockbuster movie to headlines, the MiG-21’s legacy is coloured with many notable events.
‘Flying coffin’
Government data suggests that there have been over 500 MiG-21 crashes in their 62-year history, killing over 170 pilots. Since 2010, over 20 such aircraft have crashed. One of the most recent cases was the May 2023 MiG-21 crash near Rajasthan’s Suratgarh, while it was on a routine operational training sortie.
The pilot had sustained minor injuries as he managed to eject at the right time, but the MiG-21 wreckage fell on a house in Bahlol Nagar in Hanumangarh, killing 3 civilians.
Nearly a year before this in July 2022, a trainer version of the fighter aircraft had crashed, killing 2 pilots on board. 3 pilots lost their lives in a MiG-21 Bison crash in 2021.
There have many answers given behind these fatal crashes, ranging from technical defects, human error, bird hits or spatial disorientation of pilots in some cases.
The high number of fatal accidents associated with the MiG-21 earned it the equal parts infamous and controversial nickname: flying coffin.
Hues of pop culture: Rang De Basanti
MiG-21 is of special interest to India as it has not only helped win wars but also became infamous as the ‘the flying coffin’ for the many fatal accidents that are tied to the Russian aircraft. If you are a ‘Rang De Basanti’ fan, you would know what this is about.
The 2006 film managed to spark a generation with its raw, patriotic fury. It showed a group of Delhi college students who are playing freedom fighters in a documentary. The group gets a shock on the news of their friend, a MiG-21 pilot, dying in a crash. While the plot is fictional, the crisis associated with the MiG-21 was real.
The saga of Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman and MiG-21 Bison
In 2019, after the Balakot strikes, IAF Group Captain (then-Wing Commander) Abhinandan Varthaman was flying a MiG-21 Bison during an aerial engagement, when his aircraft was shot down by a Pakistan F-16, before the latter was also shot down. Varthaman was then captured and later returned after a few days.
Enter Tejas Mk-1A, MiG-21’s replacement
It is the indigenously developed Tejas Mark-1A aircraft that will replace the Russian fighter jets, as announced by the Indian Air Force earlier.
The first successful flight by the MK1A version of the fighter jet took place on March 28 last year when Group Captain KK Venugopal (Retired), took it to the skies.
These aircraft will have an advanced electronic RADAR, warfare and communication systems, additional combat capability and improved maintenance features.
