MIG-21 Crashes: The Indian Air Power (IAF) is ready to retire a squadron of MiG-21 Bison plane by September 30. Thereafter, solely three squadrons of the plane will stay in service, which might be phased out by 2025. “The 51 Squadron primarily based out of Srinagar airport is being quantity plated on September 30… Thereafter, yearly one squadron will likely be fitted with a quantity plate,” sources mentioned.
The 51 Squadron is legendary for thwarting Pakistan`s air strike on India on February 27, 2019 and taking pictures down an F-16 by an plane flown by Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhinandan Varthaman. Sources mentioned that is the one occasion when a MiG-21 plane shot down an F-16 in an air-to-air fight.
IAF is changing MiG-21 fighter jets with extra succesful plane like Su-30 and indigenous Gentle Fight Plane (LCA).
Within the final 20 months, 6 MiG-21 plane have crashed in accidents through which 5 pilots have misplaced their lives. On Thursday night, a MiG-21 Sort 69 Coach plane crashed in Barmer, Rajasthan killing each the pilots.
The MiG-21 was purported to be discontinued lengthy again, however the delay in induction of the LCA Tejas plane has pressured the IAF to proceed flying these plane. As per officers, the IAF conducts intensive checks of those plane earlier than flight and all security facets are taken care of earlier than the pilot takes off. Officers mentioned that the quantity plated squadron could be reactivated quickly with extra succesful plane within the close to future.