NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force on Friday snapped yet another link with a Soviet era military equipment when it phased out MiG-23 combat jets after using them for nearly 30 years. The aircraft was given a farewell at the forward airbase of Halwara in Punjab.
The MiG-23 had a unique swing wing design where planform was adjusted according to the speed of the aircraft. The aircraft was extensively used in the Kargil conflict during which it delivered the maximum weal load over Drass and Kargil to eliminate Pakistani infiltrators.
The aircraft has logged 154000 flying hours in the IAF making it one of the most used flying machines.
The last home of MiG-23 BN, the bomber version, was Squadron 221 in Halwara.
Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major witnessed the grand farewell when the last flight was flown by Wing Commander Y J Joshi and Squadron Leader T R Sahu.
Squadron 221 was operating from Halwara since 1982. The squadron, known as Valiants, came into existence in 1963 at Barrackpore. It was then part of the 55 Bengal Auxillary Air Force Squadron. It flew Vampire, Spitfire and Hurricane in its early days and actively took part in the 1971 operations in East Bengal.
The MiG-23 BN entered the squadron in January 1981 as a tactical air strike combat jet. The officials said the aircraft when introduced was ahead of its time. It was a potent third generation fighter jet.
The potent ground attack MiG-27, which was inducted later, was based on the MiG-23 design. The swing wing of MiG-23 allowed good low speed handling and better maneuverability at high speeds.
The pilots and support staff got their training in the erstwhile Soviet Union in 1980 to handle the aircraft which were transported to the HAL facility at Ozar near Nasik where they were assembled. The IAF’s No 10 Squadron was the first to fly these swing wing fighters. It was used in an operational mode for the first time during Operation Meghdoot in Siachen glacier. Since then, the aircraft has been operating in high-altitude environment. In 1985, it became the first fighter jet to cross Banihal Pass in Jammu and Kashmir during night. It was in line of duty again in May 1999 when Operation Safed Sagar was launched in Jammu and Kashmir. It targeted enemy positions at Tiger Hill with 57 mm rockets and 500 kg bombs.