Abhinandan Varthaman’s MiG-21 squadron to be retired by IAF on Sep 30

New Delhi, Sep 19: The Indian Air Force is set to retire one of its four remaining squadrons of the ageing MiG-21 fighter jets. The decision to retire the squadron comes three and a half years after the Indian Air Force scripted a historic feat when Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16 combat aircraft during a dogfight over the Line of Control on February 27 2016.

The Srinagar based No.51 squadron also known as Sword Arms will be retired on September 30 a Hindustan Times report said. The other three MiG-21 squadrons will be phased out by 2025, the report also said.

The dogfight took place after the Indian Air Force annihilated a terror factory of the Jaish-e-Mohammad in Balakot, Pakistan to avenge the Pulwama attack in which India lost 40 CRPF jawans. The IAF's Mirage 2000 bombed the region in Pakistan occupied Kashmir on February 26 2019.

In recent years several MiGs have crashed because they formed the bulk of the IAF's inventory for a long time. The IAF had to keep the MiG fleet flying longer than it would have liked due to delays in the induction of new aircraft.