After 62 years of service, the Indian Air Force will officially retire the iconic MiG-21 on Friday. A grand farewell will mark the end of an era in India’s aviation history.

The fighter jet will be replaced by the Tejas, keeping in mind the demands of modern-day combat. At the retirement ceremony on Friday, the Chief of Air Staff will also pay tribute to the MiG-21 by flying its last mission, an IAF spokesperson told ANI.

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“At the retirement ceremony, we are going to fly two formations: the Badal formation and the Panther formation. In the last formation, the LCA Tejas will participate, symbolising its takeover from the MiG-21,” the spokesperson added.

The MiG-21 was inducted into the Indian Air Force in 1963. It took part in the 1965 war and was fully deployed during the

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