India’s first supersonic jet fighter the MiG-21 FL will be decommissioned after 50 years of service on Wednesday.
Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, Chief of the Air Staff who was present at the occasion of phasing out MiG 21, Type -77 in his address said, “Today’s event marks a watershed moment in IAF’s history as we reach the end of nearly five decades of remarkable operational service rendered by this iconic fighter., further stated that “On behalf of all the men and women of the IAF, I salute this veritable fighter and the contributions of all those who made it possible for our young fighter pilots to touch the sky with glory. Jai Hind!”
Retiring the FL model, To mark the occasion, four Mig-21 FL fighters will do a final flypast at the Kalaikunda base in West Bengal. The deafening roar of the Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig-21 FL afterburner, an iconic delta-wing fighter aircraft that heralded the supersonic era in Indian Air Force (IAF) will no longer be heard after December 11, 2013, the day it is set to fly into the annals of military aviation history.