IAF to retire MiG-21 fleet by Sept, Tejas Mark 1A to take over
New Delhi: After more than 60 years of service, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will retire its remaining MiG-21 fighter jets by September 2025, marking the end of an era in Indian military aviation.
“The Indian Air Force will phase out the MiG-21 fighter jet by September this year. The squadrons currently flying the aircraft are based at the Nal air base in Rajasthan,” a defence official confirmed. The MiG-21, once the mainstay of India’s air defence, has faced repeated safety concerns due to multiple crashes in recent years.
The IAF plans to replace the aircraft with the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mark 1A, developed indigenously. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Chairman and Managing Director C.B. Ananthakrishnan said, “The IAF will receive at least six Tejas aircraft by March 2026.” He also noted that engine supply delays from GE Aerospace had impacted timelines.
Originally inducted into the IAF in 1963, the MiG-21 was India’s first supersonic fighter. Though it saw limited action in the 1965 war with Pakistan, the aircraft played key roles in subsequent conflicts, including the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, the 1999 Kargil conflict, and the 2019 Balakot airstrike.
During the Balakot operation, a MiG-21 was downed in Pakistan-occupied territory, leading to the brief capture of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. The event drew global attention and highlighted the aircraft’s continued deployment in high-risk operations even decades after its induction.
