Editorial: Conflicting legacy of Soviet-era aircraft
With many of its older jets, including the Jaguars and Mirage 2000s, set to be phased out by 2035, the IAF’s air power may continue to go down, unless new aircraft are inducted soon
As India finally bids farewell to the MiG-21s, a Soviet-era aircraft, the occasion evokes mixed emotions as the single-engine, single-seater fighter carries a conflicting legacy. Being in service for over six decades, serving as the backbone of the Indian Air Force (IAF), MiG aircraft are revered and riled in equal measure; lauded for being the sentinel of the skies and playing a crucial role in several conflicts, but also earning the dubious label of ‘flying coffin’ due to several fatal accidents. When the history of the Soviet-origin supersonic jet is written, it must contain all possible shades, including its achievements and failures. Over decades, the MiG series served as a symbol of the all-weather defence cooperation between India and the erstwhile Soviet Union and proved its mettle in several battlefields, including the 1965 India-Pakistan War, the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, the 1999 Kargil conflict, and the Balakot strikes. However, its safety record has been poor. As per government data, more than 500 MiG-21s have crashed in the last 60 years, killing at least 170 pilots. More than 20 aircraft have crashed since 2010. There has been a consistent demand to phase out the ageing aircraft in the face of rising mishaps. Finally, the decommissioning ceremony was held at the Chandigarh Air Force Station, where the aircraft was first inducted in 1963. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was the chief guest at the event, which marked the formal retirement of the fleet. In all, the IAF had equipped a total of 28 fighter squadrons and four training units with MiG-21.
At the time of induction, MiG had served as an interceptor aircraft, but over the next few decades, they were upgraded to perform a variety of roles, including ground attack. With the decommissioning of the MiG-21s, the IAF is now down to a fighter squadron strength of 29, against the sanctioned strength of 42. This is not an encouraging situation, given the two-front threat the country faces from Pakistan and China. Pakistan currently has an estimated fighter squadron strength of 20-25, whereas China has more than 60. A squadron comprises 16-18 jets. Unless new aircraft are inducted soon, the IAF’s air power may continue to go down, with many of its older jets, including the Jaguars and Mirage 2000s, set to be phased out by 2035. A plethora of problems, including ageing aircraft, tardy progress on indigenous production and slow pace of induction of imports, is plaguing the IAF. Currently, India’s focus is on establishing a robust air defence and inducting capable surface-to-air and surface-to-surface weapon systems. These are essential for India’s combat readiness. Overcoming the opposition from the United States, India went ahead and inducted Russian S-400 mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems. It has also developed an indigenous ‘Akash Teer’ air-defence system. Both demonstrated their effectiveness admirably during the recent ‘Operation Sindoor’.
