Ahead of the official retirement of the MiG-21 fighter aircraft, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, on Monday undertook a few sorties in the legendary jet along with other pilots.
The Air Chief Marshal visited No. 23 Squadron ‘Panthers’, the last unit operating the MiG-21, which is set to retire on September 26, 2025, after six decades of service.
“Honouring the enduring legacy of the MiG-21, the Chief of the Air Staff visited No. 23 Sqn ‘Panthers’, the last squadron flying the iconic fighter. The CAS flew a solo sortie, as well as a formation sortie led by Sqn Ldr Priya, symbolising both tradition and transformation. On 26 Sep 2025, the MiG-21 will retire after six decades of glorious service in the IAF,” the Indian Air Force said in a post on X.
Honouring the enduring legacy of MiG-21, the Chief of the Air Staff visited No. 23 Sqn “Panthers”, the last squadron operating the legendary fighter. The CAS flew a fighter sortie, and also in a formation led by Sqn Ldr Priya, symbolising both tradition and transformation. On 26… pic.x.com/gdeNk2ghbN
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) August 25, 2025
The IAF’s Western Air Command also shared details of the visit. During his interaction with IAF personnel, the Air Chief Marshal lauded their contribution to the success of Operation Sindoor and was briefed on the current state of operational preparedness.
“Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, visited Western Air Command on 25th Aug. During the visit, he was briefed on operational preparedness pursuant to Op Sindoor. He lauded the contribution of air warriors to the outstanding success of the Operation, underscored the need to maintain the tempo, and emphasized capability enhancement along with harnessing human resource potential to shape the IAF into a future-ready aerospace power,” the Western Air Command said.
Inducted in the 1960s, the MiG-21 has been one of the longest-serving fighter jets in the Indian Air Force. It played a pivotal role in multiple IAF operations, including the 1971 India-Pakistan war.