The BRICS TimesIAF’s iconic MiG-21 jets complete six decades of service, hailed as a “national warhorse” by Dilbagh Singh, the 1981 IAF chief.
After more than sixty years of defending Indian skies, the legendary MiG-21 fighter jet is preparing for its final farewell in Chandigarh. This city holds special significance as it was the first base where the MiG-21 joined the Indian Air Force.
The official decommissioning of MiG-21 operations will take place on September 26, featuring a ceremonial flypast to honor its historic contribution to India’s aerial strength.
The last jets of number 23 Squadron, known as the “Panthers”, will take part in a memorable send-off at Chandigarh Air Force Station.
On Friday, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh will perform the final sortie of the squadron under the call sign ‘Badal 3’.
Who is Squadron Leader Priya Sharma?
Squadron Leader Priya Sharma is set to participate in the ceremonial MiG-21 flypast and took part in the full dress rehearsal on Wednesday.
The six jets from number 23 Squadron will be welcomed with a water cannon salute on landing, with Sharma playing a crucial role in this historic moment.
A 2018 graduate of the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Sharma is India’s seventh woman fighter pilot. She earned her Flying Officer commission from then Army Chief Bipin Rawat, according to The Indian Express.
Originating from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, Sharma followed her father’s footsteps into the Air Force. An engineer by training, she was the only female fighter pilot in her batch, initially serving at Hakimpet Air Force Station in Hyderabad. Later, she moved to Bidar Air Force Station in Karnataka for advanced Stage 2 and 3 fighter training.
Sharma’s love for aviation was sparked in childhood while watching Jaguars and Hawk aircraft, influenced by her father’s posting in Bidar. In August, she participated in the IAF Chief’s MiG-21 farewell sorties at Nal Air Force Station in Bikaner, becoming part of the historic legacy of India’s iconic fighter jet.
What’s planned for the grand farewell?
Dilbagh Singh, who led the first MiG-21 Squadron in Chandigarh in 1963 and became IAF chief in 1981, celebrated the jets on X: “Six decades of service, countless tales of courage, a warhorse that carried pride of a nation into the skies.”
Friday’s ceremony will begin with the arrival of chief guest Rajnath Singh, followed by a thrilling display by the IAF’s elite skydiving team, ‘Akash Ganga’, jumping from 8,000 feet.
This will be followed by a grand flypast of the MiG-21 jets, accompanied by the precision of the air warrior drill team and aerial salutes.
Fighter pilots will fly in both the three-aircraft ‘Badal’ formation and four-aircraft ‘Panther’ formation, roaring over the skies one last time. The Surya Kiran aerobatic team will also showcase spectacular maneuvers.
To commemorate the historic retirement, a special postal stamp will be released. These jets played key roles in India’s 1965 and 1971 wars, the 1999 Kargil conflict, and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes.
