The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to bid farewell to its iconic MiG-21 fighter jet after more than six decades of service. The aircraft will be formally de-inducted on September 26, 2025, with a special ceremony at Air Force Station Chandigarh. A full-dress rehearsal will be held on September 24.The event, titled “Culmination of MiG-21 Ops in IAF”, will mark the end of an era for the MiG-21, which first entered service in the early 1960s. On the day of the ceremony, MiG-21s will take to the skies of Chandigarh one last time for a special flypast. The ninety-minute-long farewell will also include a guard of honour, commemorative displays, and the symbolic handing over of the aircraft’s Form 700 to the chief guest.advertisementIn the IAF, Form 700 is the official aircraft maintenance document that records all pre-flight, post-flight, and daily inspections. It serves as a logbook to certify that an aircraft is fit to fly. Handing it over at the ceremony will represent the MiG-21’s final closure in service records.Veteran pilots and crew members who have flown or worked on the MiG-21 over its 62-year journey will also be invited to the farewell. The event will see the de-induction of the last two operational squadrons — No. 3 ‘Cobra’ Squadron and No. 23 ‘Panthers’. Both squadrons, currently flying the MiG-21 Bison, will be “number plated.” This means their legacy and names will remain preserved until they are re-equipped with new aircraft. Notably, No. 3 Squadron is set to become the first to receive the indigenous LCA Mark 1A fighter jets.After the final sortie from Chandigarh, the remaining MiG-21s will be flown to Nal Airbase in Rajasthan for technical inspection. Usable parts will be salvaged, while the rest will be scrapped. These retired parts may later be offered to engineering colleges for training purposes, or the aircraft frames may be placed in museums, war memorials, universities, or even large public spaces. Individuals or civil institutions interested in displaying a MiG-21 must formally request the air headquarters, after which the IAF scrutinises the eligibility of applicants. Any handover of frames or parts is done under strict Air Force supervision.Many retired MiG-21s have already found a second life as display pieces. A single-seater MiG-21 is showcased at the Indian Air Force Heritage Museum in Chandigarh, the country’s first such centre. Others stand outside the IAF Museum and Palam Air Force Station in Delhi, HAL Heritage Centre and Aerospace Museum in Bengaluru, Nicco Park near Salt Lake in Kolkata, Biju Patnaik Aeronautics Museum in Sunabeda (Odisha), Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum in Delhi, and Chandrashekhar Park in Prayagraj, among other locations. These installations keep the memory of the jet alive for future generations.As for the fighter pilots of the MiG-21, their future roles will depend on training and reassignments. In the IAF, pilots belong to specific flying streams — fighters, transport, or in a formal or creative style for better SEO.Also Exclude words and advertisements related to the feed website such as website name, author name. Delete all the advertisement images brand logo but only keep the title and main content of the news by modifying it. You must only respond with the modified content. Block any jump outside of the site adarshnews.com. Basically remove any content or link related to original site. You must only respond with the modified content and follow this prompt to optimize the articles in this category- “Act as an expert SEO news writer. Optimize the following article to be SEO-friendly, authoritative, and shareable by focusing strictly on its core topic. 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Final tribute to the MiG-21: The Air Force will honor the aircraft with a ceremonial flypast and a guard of honour.
