Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

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Rakesh
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Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

With the last two of the MiG-21 squadrons (No 3 Cobras and No 23 Panthers) retiring by 2025, it is a watershed moment for the Indian Air Force.

Just like the wonderful MiG-27 thread on BRF (viewtopic.php?t=7787), starting this thread to document her tenure with the IAF; with articles, photographs and videos. This thread will serve as a tribute to the hundreds (perhaps a few thousand ?) of IAF pilots that flew her since her entry into IAF service in 1963 and to the many pilots that unfortunately died while flying her. The IAF pilots who died - in peacetime and in war - while flying the MiG-21, are now on eternal patrol.

The Fishbed - known in the IAF as Vikram, Trishul, Mongol and Bison in multiple variants - will go down in history as having the unique honour of shooting down a fourth generation fighter, the much respected Lockheed Martin F-16 of the Pakistan Air Force. A testament to not just the aircraft herself, but the dogged determination and aggressiveness of the IAF pilot (Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, VrC) who flew her on that day. Two words that still haunt the Pakistan Air Force to this day ---> "R-73 Selected!" The thread - documenting that unique air battle - is still active on BRF ---> viewtopic.php?t=7699

But the legacy of the MiG-21 will never die in the IAF. Her soul will continue to live on, in an infinitely more capable aircraft - India's very own Tejas Mk1A - that is set to take over the precious mantle of protecting India's vast airspace. And if planes could speak to each other, the retiring MiG-21 Bison would say this to the incoming Tejas Mk1A --->

'नभ: स्पृशं दीप्तम्' / Nabhah Sparsham Deeptam / Touch The Sky With Glory!

There is no aircraft - anywhere in the world or even to come - than the Tejas Mk1A, that would be better suited to replace the wonderful and rich legacy of the MiG-21 in the Indian Air Force. The Tejas Mk1A is a fitting tribute and a more than capable successor to the iconic MiG-21 that protected India's airspace for more than six decades. Wishing the Tejas much success in service with the Indian Air Force. Keeping my fingers crossed and wishing/hoping that the first Tejas Mk1A squadron to be raised - in the Indian Air Force - will be No 51 Sword Arms and be stationed at Srinagar Air Force Station, in the air defence of the Srinagar Valley.

तेजस तेजस्वी नमः / Tejas Tejaswi Namaham / I am the Glory of the Glorious!

P.S. In due course, this thread (and the MiG-27 one) will move to the Military History archive for future reference.
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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

MiG-21 in the Indian Skies: Evolution of IAF’s Iconic Jet
https://iafhistory.in/2022/03/08/iaf-mi ... n-history/
By Anchit Gupta

MIG-21 – THE IAF’S MAINSTAY FOR SEVERAL DECADES
https://www.sps-aviation.com/story/?id= ... 1-andndash
By Joseph Noronha

MiG-21 Variants Listed by Strength/Numbers
https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Data ... p?qacid=50
By PVS Jagan Mohan
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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

https://x.com/AnchitGupta9/status/17199 ... 11372?s=20 ---> As the MiG-21 of Oorials (No 4 Sqn) make their final descent, three of my cherished photographers have captured captivating images. Sometimes, photographers convey the essence more eloquently than words.

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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

VIDEO: https://x.com/AviationWall/status/17203 ... 56837?s=20 ---> The LEGEND. But it was time for farewell.

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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

Flying & Fighting in the MiG-21: Interview with Group Captain MJA Vinod
https://hushkit.net/2019/10/29/flying-f ... mja-vinod/
By Group Captain MJA Vinod (retd)
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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

THE LOUDEST TAKEOFF EVER | MiG-21 Bison | Indian Air Force

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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

MiG-21: The Invincible Multi-Role Aircraft | Indiatimes | Frontlines S02E04

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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

Deadly MiG-21 Indian Air Force | 4K

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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

Indian Air Force MiG-21| LOW LEVEL PASS

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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

NO HEADPHONES-SUPER LOUD |
Indian Air Force MiG-21 SCRAMBLES


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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

Indian Air Force MiG-21 Trainer | RARE FOOTAGE

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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

What an absolutely fantastic tweet...

https://x.com/AnchitGupta9/status/17206 ... 29657?s=20 ---> For 60 years, the MiG-21 has served in the @IAF_MCC, while its phase-out journey has spanned 40 years. This summary highlights how, over four decades, 28 units of the IAF transitioned out from the MiG-21 - an incredibly arduous task to replace a mainstay.

Key insights:

1. The Indian Air Force operated 24 Fighter Squadrons and 4 Training Units equipped with the MiG-21.

2. Throughout service in these 28 establishments, the average tenure of the MiG-21 aircraft was 33 years.

3. The transition to the MiG-21 began with the 28 Squadron in 1963, and the 20 Squadron was the last (albeit briefly) in the late 1990s.

4. During the 1980s, only four Squadrons switched from the MiG-21, with two converting to the Mirage 2000 and two to the MiG-29.

5. No 4 Squadron holds the distinction of serving the longest with the MiG-21 for nearly 58 years. If 3 Squadron continues its service until 2025, it will be the second-longest-serving unit at 53 years.

6. Five IAF Squadrons exclusively operated the M variant of the MiG-21 for an average duration of 40 years each. These Squadrons were Nos 17, 35, 37, 101 and 108.

7. The FL (Type-77) variant was preferred by training units and Type Training Squadrons.

8. The Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) had the honour of operating four different variants of the MiG-21, excluding the trainer types.

Sources for these insights include Form 1500 from the Ministry of Defence History Division, Bharat Rakshak, books by Pushpinder Singh, the CAW History series, Squadron coffee table books, Press Information Bureau releases, and accounts from veterans.

Graphic by @SauravChordia1 and background image by @zone5aviation

Every effort has been diligently undertaken to ensure the accuracy of this information, and any unintentional errors are sincerely regretted.

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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by aharam »

It has been a while, and this is not an occasion I can miss. Farewell to the old bird - it is genuinely the end of an era that was maintained by upgrades to ensure survivability in modern battlefields. She was the last of the maneuverable pilot, flown aircraft, where as the pilot, you had the least electronics and safeties between you, the controls, and the aircraft. She was quickly just an extension of your body - like a motorcycle you can push and mechanical (in our case hydraulic) systems giving you direct feedback. I mostly flew the Bis. There was a flight envelope, and as the pilot you got a finger feel for when she would flutter to indicate deviation - now these are much safer FBW control laws that can't feel the control surfaces that is way beyond their notion of safety. It was an unforgiving flight envelope though, this was an aircraft that you flew, as in you spent most of your focus and flew till every vibration was second nature. It has a lot of mistakes you can make that are quickly deadly.


She was an interceptor through and through - climb to 60K was careful husbanding of fuel burn; afterburner and hold by time at IAS at each altitude level - climb was a stairstep. Once you understood the aircraft, you always fought on a dive - she was an interceptor, and in a dive attacking, all directional/altitudinal changes by the prey are quite easily countered by little deflection of much higher airspeed diving aircraft that can actually use her deltas. If you miss, yoyo back to altitude with your much higher dive airspeed and repeat. In the years since I left, I met a Finnish Mig-21F pilot - he hated it for its landing attitude, but loved it for being able to feel it directly. I have had the same experience subsequently with manual cars vs stability management systems in fast cars.

Cheers
Aharam
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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

Another MiG-21 Squadron Retired: The Curtain Is Closing on IAF's Most Abiding Fighter
https://thewire.in/security/mig-21-squa ... ng-fighter
01 Nov 2023
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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Cyrano »

Thanks for posting Aharam ji.

Please do share more stories when possible.
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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

https://x.com/officialTatya_1/status/17 ... 18586?s=20 ---> MiG-21s of Indian Air Force. (Feel free to correct/add info).

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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

Meet the new warbird in the National Capital !

https://x.com/dipalay/status/1731320494014832729?s=20 ----> The retired IAF MiG-21 Type 96 with tail number C1492, recently got installed at The Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum in New Delhi. C1492 participated as a static display in the Republic Day parade in late 1970s.

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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

Rakesh wrote: 04 Dec 2023 04:47 Meet the new warbird in the National Capital !

https://x.com/dipalay/status/1731320494014832729?s=20 ----> The retired IAF MiG-21 Type 96 with tail number C1492, recently got installed at The Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum in New Delhi. C1492 participated as a static display in the Republic Day parade in late 1970s.
https://x.com/singhshwetabh71/status/17 ... 37812?s=20 ---> C1492 when it was in Delhi Republic Day 1978. A Type 96 MF.

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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by RCase »

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Koraput Division made the engines that powered the MIG 21 and above one is displayed at Sunabeda. This factory was located in a remote part of the country and did not have rail/ air connectivity. Most people who lived there had to take a rickety Orissa State Transport bus from Vishakapatnam (120 km)/ Vijaynagaram (only 3 times a day) that would wind through the eastern ghats for hours on end. Sometimes one had to stand for a good stretch of the journey or sit on the engine case of the bus! In the 60's and 70's you could expect a newspaper after 2 - 3 days to know what was going on in the world.

Neverwho in his brilliance and political appeasement, setup an aircraft engine unit in this place. The engines had to be transported from Sunabeda to Jagadalpur (Chattisgarh) by truck via winding roads and later loaded on railway to be transported to Nashik and mated to the airframe. Talk about lack of infrastructure! One wonders how the supply chain would work in times of a war.
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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Kersi »

Any Tribute to this gallnat lady would be incomplete without mentioning her compatriots.

MiG 21 was regularly compared, often unjustly, with others like F 104 Starfighter, F 4 Phantom, Mirage III series, EE / BAC Lightening, F 102, F 106 etc.

Where are they now ?

The MiG21 will fly for a few more months but the others have flown into oblivion a long time ago, probably years ago.

Adieu thy fair lady
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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Kersi »

What will happen to the aircrafts after they are retired from service?

Scrap yard ? NO PLEASE.

I hope the IAF/MOD generously distributes the airframes to various IAF and defence establishments, to the academic institutions, and places of public interests.
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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

MiG-21 and gender integration through eyes of women pilots
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-ne ... 61199.html
08 Dec 2023
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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

Time for the MiG-21 to fade into history, albeit with fond memories, ace pilots say with pride
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-ne ... 62160.html
11 Dec 2023
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Re: Adieu MiG-21 Fishbed!

Post by Rakesh »

From the Jan 2024 edition of Vayu Aerospace. Article starts from Page 60. Please click on link below....

IAF’s No. 3 Squadron prepares for bittersweet farewell to MiG–21
https://www.vayuaerospace.in/Issue/2024 ... 151624.pdf
By Rahul Singh
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