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53m ago

IAF to Retire MiG-21 on Friday in Chandigarh With Air Chief Piloting Final Sortie

The send-off underscores a shift to Tejas and other modern fighters during a tight squadron cycle.

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Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh and Flying Officer Priya Sharma walk towards a MiG-21 aircraft at the Nal Air Force Station, in Bikaner district, Rajasthan.
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Overview

  • Final decommissioning is set for September 26 at Chandigarh, with No. 23 Squadron staging the last flypasts after a full dress rehearsal on September 24.
  • Air Chief Marshal A P Singh will fly the concluding MiG-21 sortie under the call sign “Badal 3,” and Squadron Leader Priya Sharma will join the farewell formations before a water-cannon salute.
  • The programme features Badal and Panther formations, with Tejas LCA and Jaguar fighters participating, plus displays by the Surya Kiran aerobatic team and the Akash Ganga skydivers.
  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Chief of Defence Staff, the three service chiefs, and several former IAF chiefs are slated to attend.
  • Serviceable airframes will be allocated to museums and training institutions, the Tejas is intended to replace the type, reports say squadron strength may dip to around 29 for now, and additional Tejas orders are reported to be in the works but not yet confirmed.