[MarkSheppard]

India has retired their MiG-21 fleet.

https://apnews.com/article/india-air...c6d636fae30b77

September 26, 2025

NEW DELHI (AP) — India retired its last fleet of Soviet-era MiG-21 fighter jets Friday, ending more than six decades of service with an aircraft once celebrated for its combat prowess but later derided as a “flying coffin” due to frequent crashes.

...

According to official data, India procured 872 MiG aircrafts of various models between 1966 and 1980, making it the biggest operator of the aircraft in the world.


Between 1971 and April 2012, as many as 482 MiG crashes were reported, killing 171 pilots, 39 civilians, 8 service personnel and 1 aircrew. Human error and technical issues were cited as the causes.

The crashes earned the fighters a grim nickname of “flying coffins” and inspired a blockbuster Bollywood movie “Rang De Basanti” in 2006 based on the death of a young MiG-21 pilot.

On Friday, the fighter was accorded a colorful farewell with a last sortie led by Air Force Chief, Air Marshal AP Singh in the presence of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh at the northern Indian air base of Chandigarh. Upon landing, the fighter was accorded a water canon salute.

“The MiG-21 has the distinction of being an aircraft which has trained generations of Indian fighter pilots. It was a joy to fly. It made me the fighter pilot I am today,” air force Group Capt. Indranil Nandi said.