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IAF Sets Sept. 26 Send-Off as Air Chief to Lead MiG-21 Farewell Flypast

The ceremony underscores a shift to newer fighters including the Tejas after the MiG-21’s long, storied and often controversial service.

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Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh and Squadron Leader Priya Sharma will fly Mig-21 fighters at the decommissioning ceremony of the jet at Chandigarh. (IAF)
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Overview

  • The Indian Air Force will retire the MiG-21 at a decommissioning event in Chandigarh featuring a ceremonial flypast led by Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who will fly the jet.
  • Officials say Squadron Leader Priya Sharma is among the pilots slated to take part, reflecting a focus on symbolism and representation at the farewell.
  • Planned aerial sequences include a three-aircraft Badal formation and a five-aircraft Panther formation pairing three MiG-21s with two LCA Tejas, with Jaguars also expected to simulate a base strike.
  • A full dress rehearsal is scheduled for Wednesday, with veterans invited, a ceremonial F-700 logbook handover planned, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expected to attend.
  • Inducted in 1963, the MiG-21 flew across major conflicts and trained generations of pilots, with about 874 inducted overall and a safety record marked by numerous accidents; the type remains with No. 3 and No. 23 squadrons until retirement.