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India is retiring its fleet of MiG-21 fighters. Their primary combat threat for over 30 years, the plane leaves behind a decidedly mixed legacy, nicknamed a “flying coffin” for its many crashes. Reminds you of some of our Western “widowmakers” and such, doesn’t it?<\/p>\n
India started acquiring the then-blistering fast MiG in 1966, and since then has bought 872 of them. Think we have had problems with some of our aircraft, like the Osprey? Between 1971 and 2012 (so we’re missing a few years), the Indian Air Force has logged\u00a0 482 crashes. Think about that – in 41 years out of the 59 years they have used them, 55% of the MiGs have gone down.<\/p>\n
\nBetween 1971?72 and April 2012, 482 MiG crashes were recorded, claiming 171 pilots, 39 civilians, eight service personnel and one aircrew, “caused by both human error and technical defects”. There is no official update of the data since.<\/p>\n
“The MiG-21 has a chequered legacy. The fighter was the mainstay of the IAF for over three decades and served in various roles in all of India’s conflicts since the 1965 Pakistan war,” says Rahul Bhatia, an analyst at Eurasia Group, a geopolitical risk consulting firm. “However, starting in the early 2000s, the fighter became better known for its high crash rate. Pilots look back at the MiG-21 fondly, but the aircraft stayed in service far longer than it should have,” he adds.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Flying better than Mach 2 at 20km altitude, the plane turned poorly per the article but over time the Indians modified it into a multi-mission plane. The article mentions one pilot who flew it for 26 years.\u00a0 The last flight was due to occur Friday, September 26. India isn’t alone, by the way, as over 50 air forces in a variety of nations have used the -21s.<\/p>\n
\nOriginally a high-altitude interceptor built for speed and short-range climbs to reach the enemy over short distances, the MiG?21 was quickly adapted by the IAF for close combat and ground attacks.<\/p>\n
By the 1971 war with Pakistan, it had become a formidable multi-role fighter, though in 1965 war it was still new and mainly an interceptor. The MiG?21 also shaped India’s defence ties with Russia and helped jump-start its own aerospace industry.<\/p>\n
“We adapted the aircraft to Indian conditions in a remarkable way. 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 a truly impressive manner,” says Air Marshal Brar.<\/p>\n
Every fighter jet has its quirks and the MiG?21 was no exception – fast descents and even high-speed stalls were part of its character, according to Air Marshal Bhatia. “Master it, respect it and it was a beautiful airplane to fly,” he says.BBC News<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Its replacement was authorized in 1981 but did not fly until 2001. Even now, there are only two operational squadrons out of 42 authorized, with 29 MiG squadrons phasing the planes out. And we thought OUR procurement system was dysfunctional…<\/p>\n
Quick birthday shout-out to my brother, the pilot in the family! Had to do a plane-related column for him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"