After 62 years, the Soviet-origin iconic Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, IAF's first supersonic air combat interceptor, will take its last flight on September 26.
These Soviet-origin jets, inducted in 1963, were India’s first supersonic fighters. The initial batch of 10 joined the 28 Squadron (Chandigarh), nicknamed First Supersonics.
Over the years, more than 870 MiG-21s of different variants were inducted, many built domestically by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, which began license production in 1966 at its Nashik plant.
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and a woman fighter pilot, Squadron Leader Priya Sharma, will be among the six pilots to fly the lost sortie.