India retires MiG-21 fighters after six decades as air force stretches to improve fleet
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.
The phaseout underscores the urgency for the Indian air force to expand and modernize its air fleet to counter potential threats on two fronts from its archrivals China and Pakistan.
The decommissioning leaves the air force with 29 fighter squadrons, well short of the 42 endorsed at one time by the government.
Each squadron comprises 16-18 fighter jets.
“If the drop in India’s fighter fleet is not arrested quickly, it will make it challenging to counter neighboring adversaries that have advanced jets for modern day warfare,” said N.C. Bipindra, a New Delhi-based defense analyst.
India is banking on speeding the introduction of homegrown Tejas light-combat jets and possibly acquiring foreign fighters that would largely be built locally to supplement its depleting strength, government officials said.