MiG-21: A Timeless Legend That Shaped Indian Skies
Newz Daddy Defence Updates
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh says, “MiG-21 has been the workhorse of the Indian Air Force. We’ve been inducted into it in the 1960s and are continuing with it. The MiG-21 was first flown in 1955 and officially entered service around 1959–1963, including in India. It was the country’s first supersonic jet and brought a new age of faster jets. India inducted MiG-21s in 1963; they became the backbone of India’s air power for decades. This has been one of the most mass-produced supersonic fighter jets. About 11,000 or so were produced, and more than 60 countries have operated it.
A staggering 11,000+ MiG-21s were built from 1959 to the mid-1980s, making it the most-produced supersonic jet in history. Over 60 countries across four continents flew the MiG-21—even today, some still do.
It’s a design which is very limited in numbers, delta with the tail plane…
The MiG-21 has a delta-wing design, great for climbing quickly, though not perfect in tight turns. My first experience was in 1985, when I went to Tezpur and we flew the Type 77, one of the MiG-21s. After flying the Kirans, it was a revelation that the aircraft could feel like this. It’s an amazing aircraft to fly. Very agile, very manoeuvrable and very simple design. It requires some kind of initial training for you to get used to it.
Indian-built Type 77 (MiG-21FL) began assembly in 1966. HAL made about 205, with the first fully-built in India delivered in 1970. Many pilots say, “You have never flown until you’ve flown a MiG-21” because of how nimble it felt—even at low speeds.
At max reheat, it could climb more than 200-250 meters per second.
The MiG-21bis could climb at about 235 m/s with powerful afterburner thrust. I think it is going to be one aircraft that is going to be missed by people who have flown it earlier. Now we have to move on because this technology is old. It’s very difficult to maintain this technology now. So we’ve decided to call it a day for this aircraft and move on to the new platforms, like Tejas, Tejas MK2, Rafales, and Su-30s are already operating. So these platforms will take this place…” MiG-21s will be retired by September 2025, marking the end of their six-decade service. India operated around 874 MiG-21s, of which HAL built 657 locally. Beginning the phase-out, MiG-21s are being replaced by newer fighters: Tejas Mk 1A, Tejas Mk 2, Rafale, and Su-30. HAL’s Tejas is stepping up—deliveries are underway.
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