MiG‑21 retires today: Why IAF's warplane is nicknamed 'flying coffin'
What's the story
The MiG-21, once India's most iconic warplane, is set to retire on Friday, September 26, 2025. The Soviet-designed fighter jet was first inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 1963 and quickly became its backbone, making up two-thirds of its fighter fleet. However, despite its early success and versatility across combat roles, the aircraft later earned a notorious reputation as a "flying coffin" due to its high crash rate its final years.
Operational legacy
How the aircraft got its 'flying coffin' tag
According to official figures, between 1966 and 1980, India acquired 872 MiG aircraft of different models. Between 1971-72 and April 2012, 482 MiG crashes occurred, resulting in the loss of 171 pilots and 39 civilians. "Starting in the early 2000s, the fighter became better known for its high crash rate. Pilots look back at...MiG-21 fondly, but the aircraft stayed in service far longer than it should have," Rahul Bhatia, an analyst at Eurasia Group, a geopolitical risk consulting firm, said.
Pilots' perspective
What was the MiG-21's role in IAF?
The MiG-21 was originally a high-altitude interceptor but was adapted by the IAF for close combat and ground attacks. It played a crucial role in India's defense ties with Russia and helped shape its aerospace industry. At its height, the jet flew with more than 50 air forces, including those from the Soviet Union, China, India, Egypt, Iraq, and Vietnam. This made it one of the most widely used supersonic jets in history.
Operational impact
How it performed during the 1971 war
Despite its flaws, pilots like Air Marshal (retired) Prithvi Singh Brar loved flying it. "Though it had design limitations and wasn't built for close combat, we pushed it beyond what Russian test pilots and manuals taught, mastering close combat flying in truly impressive manner." That versatility helped define its role in the 1971 war, with the MiG-21s carrying out low-level night raids deep into Pakistani territory.
Pilots
'Media was very unkind to the aircraft'
Apart from Air Marshal Brar, other pilots who flew it said its negative image in later years was unwarranted. "The media was very unkind to the aircraft," BBC quoted one as saying. Over the years, the IAF had to keep extending the MiG-21's service life because replacements were unavailable. The light combat aircraft planned to replace it was designed in 1981, first flew in 2001, and, even now, decades later, only two squadrons are operational.
Fleet update
What next for IAF after MiG-21's retirement?
With the retirement of its last two MiG-21 squadrons, India now has 29 fighter units against a sanctioned strength of 42. The fighter jet will be replaced by the Tejas. "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, symbolizing its takeover from the MiG-21," an IAF spokesperson told ANI.