As India bids farewell to its first supersonic fighter jet, the MiG-21's final flight marks both the end of an era and a warning for the future
escribing the MiG-21 as a mighty machine and a national pride, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said there was a deep attachment to the aircraft that shaped our confidence
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said MiG 21 is not only an aircraft or a machine but a testimony to the deep ties between India and Russia. Singh was addressing a gathering on the occasion of the decommissioning ceremony of the Russian-origin MiG-21 at the Chandigarh Air Force Station here. The iconic Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighter jets, which have been the backbone of Indian Air Force's combat fleet for over six decades, flew for the last time in Indian skies here on Friday, bringing the curtain down on a 62-year-long journey. The legendary MiG-21 fighter jets have been part of the IAF's combat fleet since the 1960s. Remembering the valour of the armed forces, Singh said the MiG 21 has a big contribution in their journey of bravery. "We gathered here for the final operational sortie of MiG 21. Being amongst you, I have emotions of pride and gratitude," Singh said. "When we are today giving a send-off to MiG 21 from its operational journey, I feel that we are giving a .
Estonia summoned a Russian diplomat to protest after three Russian fighter aircraft entered its airspace without permission on Friday and stayed there for 12 minutes, the Foreign Ministry said. Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhna said that Russia had already violated Estonian airspace four times this year but today's incursion, involving three fighter aircraft entering our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen. His ministry said that the incursion took place over the Gulf of Finland and three Russian MIG-31 fighters were involved. The Russian charge d'affaires was summoned and given a protest note, a ministry statement said.
The Union Cabinet has approved the purchase of 97 more Tejas Mk1A fighter jets for the Indian Air Force. The ₹62,000 crore deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited marks a major push.
Three out of five jet types saw a decline in crashes over the past 15 years
The plan to buy the indigenous plane was announced in Spain by Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari soon after receiving the first C-295 transport aircraft
As India was getting ready to scale up its military capabilities after losing to China in the 1962 Sino-India war and facing rising pressures from Pakistan, MiG-21 was acquired by the country in 1963
Over 400 Mig-21 fighter aircrafts have crashed since 1971-72 claiming the lives of more than 200 pilots and another 50 people on the ground, according to a news report
Imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine would help bring the conflict there to a faster conclusion and save lives, Polish ambassador said, as Russia continued a relentless bombardment of several cities
The Pentagon on Wednesday (local time) said it would oppose any plans to provide MiG fighter jets to Ukraine, calling it "high-risk".
Vice Prez Kamala Harris' trip to Warsaw to thank Poland for taking in Ukrainians fleeing war took a turn, she'll be parachuting into the middle of unexpected diplomatic turbulence over fighter jets
The Pentagon has said that Poland's offer to give its MiG-29 fighter jets to the US so they can be passed to Ukraine raises serious concerns for the NATO alliance and the plan is not "a tenable one"
An Indian Air Force pilot was killed after a MiG-21 Bison aircraft crashed in Punjab's Moga district, officials said on Friday
There is already concern that the IAF is down to just 30 fighter squadrons, against the assessed requirement of 42 squadrons
MiG CEO Ilya Tarasenko said his company would submit a detailed proposal to the Modi govt shortly