India on Friday, September 26, bid farewell to its iconic Mig-21 fighter jets. The final two MiG-21 squadrons, the No. 23 (Panthers) and the No. 3 (Cobras), which together operated around 36 jets, were retired in Chandigarh during a decommissioning ceremony. Air Chief Marshal A P Singh led the last sortie of the MiG-21 as the legendary aircraft fleet was officially decommissioned. The MiG-21s flew in the Badal (cloud) formation, consisting of three aircraft in an inverted ‘V’ configuration.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also paid tribute to the combat jet, recalling its contributions in various conflicts, from the 1971 war to the Kargil conflict, and from the Balakot airstrike to Operation Sindoor. He hailed it as a tremendous strength for India’s armed forces. Inducted into the Indian A

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