NEW DELHI: A month before the official retirement of the MiG-21 fighter jets, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, on Monday flew farewell sorties in the single-seater MiG-21 aircraft, which has served the nation for 60 years, at the Nal Air Base in Bikaner, Rajasthan. “Honouring the enduring legacy of the MiG-21, the Chief of the Air Staff visited No. 23 Squadron ‘Panthers’, the last squadron operating the legendary fighter. The CAS flew a solo sortie and also participated in a formation led by Squadron Leader Priya, symbolising both tradition and transformation,” the IAF said in a statement. The MiG-21 will be retired on September 26 after six decades of service in the IAF. “MiG-21 has been the workhorse of the Indian Air Force. We inducted it in the 1960s, and it continues to serve even today. It is one of the most mass-produced supersonic fighter jets in history,” said Air Chief Marshal Singh. Recalling his first experience with the aircraft, he added: “In 1985, I went to Tezpur and flew the Type-77, one of the MiG-21 variants. It’s an amazing aircraft to fly — very agile, very manoeuvrable, and of a simple design. It requires some initial training to get used to it, but it will remain one of those aircraft deeply missed by those who have flown it.” He acknowledged, however, that it was time to move on. “This technology is old and difficult to maintain now. So, we have decided to call it a day for this aircraft and transition to newer platforms like Tejas, Tejas Mk2, Rafale, and the Su-30s, which are already operational,” he said. The IAF chief also visited the Western Air Command headquarters, where he was briefed on operational preparedness pursuant to Op Sindoor. Acquired in March 1963, the MiG-21 was the first supersonic aircraft in the IAF’s inventory. Over the years, the Air Force inducted more than 900 MiG-21s, upgrading them for multiple combat roles. The legendary fighter has played a pivotal role in India’s defence, including earning fame during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. India had acquired the MiG-21 as part of its military build-up following the 1962 India-China war. However, in recent years it earned the grim nickname of “flying coffin” due to a spate of accidents that claimed the lives of several pilots. Notably, the aircraft also has the highest landing and take-off speed in the world.