MiG-21 FL fighter jet takes its last flight

A total 15 MiG-21 FLs which were operating from the Kalaikunda airbase were signed off today.

In the ceremonial flypast four of the aircraft were flown while one was towed out of the parade square at the air base to mark the occasion.  

The iconic delta-wing fighter aircraft had heralded the ‘supersonic era' in IAF and had played a crucial role in the 1971 war giving India air superiority over vital points and areas in the western sector.

The pin-point accurate attack on the Governor's House in Dhaka by IAF pilots flying the MiG-21s proved to be a turning point in the war, forcing the adversary to negotiate an eventual surrender.

The aircraft were also fielded in the Kargil war.