New Delhi, Feb. 29 -- MiG-21 flying operations are in full swing at the sprawling Nal desert fighter base, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) exploiting the full potential of the last of its Soviet era interceptors before bringing the curtain down later this year on the iconic fleet that has served India for six decades as it moves on to the locally produced light combat aircraft (LCA) with several accidents calling into question the safety of the MiG.
IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari announced on 3 October 2023 that the MiG-21 was being phased out, and the process is likely to be completed by 2025. In October end, IAF retired the MiG-21s of the No.4 Squadron based at Uttarlai in Rajasthan.
The MiG-21, India's first supersonic fighte...