After 60 Years and 400 Crashes India to Retire MiG-21.

The MiG-21 is one of the most recognizable fighter jets from the early Cold War era, and despite their age, some are still in service in the Indian Air Force. However, not for much longer. By 2025, the last Indian MiG-21s are expected to retire, closing a long and troubled chapter in the history of the MiG-21 within the Indian Air Force.
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Training flight on Mig-21 from indian Air force  (Picture source: Indian Air force )

A Long and Rich History

The MiG-21 was one of the most produced military aircraft in history, with over 11,000 units built between 1959 and 1985. The history of the MiG-21 is fascinating, transitioning from one of the most advanced aircraft in the sky to a "flying coffin" and today, a sort of outdated fossil in aerial combat.

The first flight of the MiG-21 took place in 1955, just a decade after World War II, and it was introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1959. It enjoyed a long production run of 26 years, ending in 1985. Incredibly, the Chinese licensed version of the MiG-21 (called Chengdu J-7) continued production until 2013. North Korea is a country that operates both the MiG-21 and the Chinese Chengdu J-7 - as well as even older aircraft like the MiG-19 - planes that were first produced during the Korean War era. The MiG-21 is one of the oldest Soviet fighter aircraft still in service worldwide (although there are older MiG-17s and MiG-19s still flying).

The MiG-21 entered service in the Indian Air Force in 1963. At the time, the aircraft was a respectable fighter and formed the backbone of the country's fleet from the 1970s until the mid-2000s. It particularly shone during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, where its precise bombings helped India take control of airfields, and its air attacks saw several aircraft downed.

But today, the MiG-21 has become a relic and has long been retired from service in most air forces around the world. It was never used by the Russian Air Force, having been retired from service while it was still the Soviet Air Force. However, the Indian Air Force continues to fly a limited number of MiG-21s despite efforts to replace them earlier.

The Problem of Numbers

According to Perun, one of the problems is that the Indian Air Force is significantly under its authorized strength. The air force is supposed to have 42 fighter squadrons, but it actually has about 31. The fleet composition of these 31 fighter squadrons is one of the most interesting in the world. It has everything from modern Russian fighter jets like the Su-30MKI and the French multi-role fighter Dassault Rafale to the BAE Hawk and the MiG-21. The gap between the generational capabilities of the oldest and newest aircraft is breathtaking.

India has faced a daunting task: replacing its old platforms, like the MiG-21, while trying to bolster its numbers to approach the 42 squadrons authorized. India is a vast country whose air force needs a large number of aircraft to successfully carry out its mission and effectively defend its skies.

Today, India still has about 40 of the hundreds of MiG-21s it has operated. These have been upgraded to match 3rd generation fighter jets, according to India Today.

HAL Tejas (LA-5018) of Squadron 18 Flying Bullets doing air manoeuvre (Picture source: Indian MoD)

MiG-21 – The Flying Coffin

But the MiG-21 is more than just an outdated aircraft kept in service. It is also plagued by mechanical issues and such a large number of them have crashed that it has earned the nickname "flying coffin". It is not the only undesirable nickname that the MiG-21 has received in service in India. It is also called the widow maker.

During the 60 years of service in the Indian Air Force, 200 pilots and at least 60 civilians have been killed in at least 400 MiG-21 accidents. Sometimes, the pilots at the controls of these aircraft are not freshly recruited military personnel, but experienced veterans who are fully trained. More than half of the 840 aircraft built in India between 1966 and 1984 have been lost in accidents. Most of the Indian MiG-21s were built under license by the state-owned company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bangalore.

Accidents continue to strike the IAF, even in recent years. Two pilots were killed in the Indian state of Rajasthan after a crash on July 28, 2022. Another pilot was forced to eject on May 8, 2023; the pilot was unharmed, but two civilians were killed on the ground. More than 20 aircraft have crashed since 2010.

Each squadron has about 20 MiG-21s. Recently, The Wire reported that one of the remaining three MiG-21 squadrons was going to be retired from service, leaving two squadrons still in service with the old interceptor. Today, there are only 40 aircraft equipping 2 squadrons, but given the 400 crashes, including the increasing number of civilian deaths,

These last two squadrons are expected to finally be retired from service in 2025. This will end the long and tumultuous history of the MiG-21 in the Indian Air Force. Eventually, the MiG-21 will be retired from service in India, some 40 years after the Soviet Air Force retired them in 1985. Nowadays, the aircraft are mainly used as interceptors and have a limited role as fighter aircraft. They are mainly used for training exercises.

India has long sought to develop its own aircraft, but its Tejas program has experienced many delays and has a complex history. This has forced India to rely more than expected on its aging fleet.

Even after the retirement of the Indian MiG-21 fleet, it will remain in service in other air forces. According to The Military Balance 2023, hundreds of Chengdu J-7s (Chinese licensed production of the MiG-21) remain in service for conversion training. In the Chinese Air Force (called the Air Force of the People's Liberation Army), the gap between old and new aircraft is even more pronounced than in the Indian Air Force, with J-7s serving alongside the world's second-largest collection of 5th generation stealth fighters - the Chengdu J-20 and Shenyang FC-31.