MiG 21: Over 50 glorious years of service in Indian Air Force

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Flying & Fighting in the MiG-21: Interview with Group Captain MJA Vinod

October 29, 2019.

Despite first flying over sixty years, the pugnacious MiG-21 remains in frontline service in the Indian Air Force. Fast, agile and brutally simple – the elderly Cold War fighter jet is still capable of biting complacent opponents, and even has some tricks up its sleeve that more sophisticated enemies cannot match. We spoke to Group Captain MJA Vinod (formerly of the Indian Air Force) about flying and fighting this lightweight Soviet ‘rocketship’.

Which three words best describe the MiG-21?

“Fast, agile and extremely manoeuvrable.”

When did India procure the MiG-21 and where were you trained ?

“It was in 1961 when India went in for MiG 21s, I was trained here in India.”

What were your first impressions of the MiG-21 ?

“I did my training in the Kiran (an Indian version of the British Jet Provost) Mk I and Mk II, by the time I came to fly the MiG-21 at the MiG Operational Flying Training Unit (MOFTU) I had about 250 hours of jet flying experience. Even then, the first thing that hits you is its speed. The speed at which things happen. I remember an incident very vividly, one of my course-mates reached the top of a climb even before he had raised his undercarriage. Yeah! I was extremely lucky to fly MiG-21, especially a Type-77.”

What is the best thing about it ?

“It’s a completely a manual aeroplane, with very simple systems. If one masters it, this aircraft can manoeuvre better than most modern aircraft, provided it is flown by someone who has mastered the aircraft.”

“I once flew a DACT mission against two MiG-29s, I didn’t engage them in a turning fight. I kept my fight vertical and got two kills.”

And the worst thing?

Being a manual aircraft, safety needs to be observed as it is not ensured by inherent safety features and design features that of a modern aircraft. In a MiG-21, being an older generation aircraft, sometimes this thin line has been transgressed by a few good men inadvertently and I lost some of my friends. This is something that was corrected in the Midlife upgrade. MiG 21 Bison has good safety features.

How you rate the MiG-21 in the following categories?

A. Instantaneous turn
“The MiG-21’s instantaneous turn has very little meaning in combat. Being a swept-back delta, the lift/per deg of angle of attack that she produces is not nothing to write home about.”

B. Sustained turn
“Being a delta planform, the drag that she generates as the angle of attack increases is high, so its sustained turn rate (compared to any modern-day fighter) is not very high either. Despite this, she is able out manoeuvre modern fighters, how? That is an interesting question.”

C. High alpha
“Oh! The MiG-21 can reach very high alpha, much higher than any modern fighter. This is because modern-day fighters have systems that prevent the pilot from reaching vey high alpha — as they reach very high alpha a protection measures kicks in and limits them. I used this feature later in life to take to take MiG-21 to a very low speeds and watched a Eurofighter Typhoon shoot past me.”

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D. Acceleration
“Indian MiG-21 has something called an emergency power reserve (EPR) aka second reheat. With EPR she accelerates much faster. I remember doing a DACT (dissimilar air combat training) with one other fighter (wouldn’t like to name it) and being a superior fighter, he was supposed to demonstrate his acceleration to me, little did he know that at the end of the acceleration run I matched him. Thanks to second reheat.”

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E. Climb rate
“The MiG-21 is like a rocket with small wings to keep it in the air. It was designed to shoot down aeroplanes like the U-2 spy planes. Its dynamic thrust goes up to 9900 kgf, it can practically accelerate in a vertical climb. In matter of seconds it reaches its ‘business ‘altitude of business’.”

What was your most memorable mission ?

“This was 1995 and we were being inspected by an agency from headquarters, a potentially prestigious moment for any squadron to perform well and get good scores. I was still a Pilot Officer (A rank now retired by the IAF) and I was ground standby for one of the four aircraft strike plus two aircraft for the escort mission. Visibility was very poor, barely 2-3 kilometres. Being the most junior member I made the map for the entire formation, therefore I knew the route by heart. This was a mission to be flown at low level over the Thar Desert. The Commanding Officer was leading the mission with the Flight Commander being the deputy leader (the two senior-most Squadron leaders being the other two members). The escorts were MiG-29 from the adjacent base, but owing to the bad visibility they never turned up. The interceptors were pilots of the inspection agency. On the day of reckoning my CO took off and one of his undercarriages didn’t go up, however he still gathered the formation and put them on the first course. He then peeled off and asked me to slot in as number four. I got airborne and by then the formation was fifty kilometres from me. Since I made the map I exactly knew where the formation would be in terms of time. Remember that over desert, ground features are sparse and sometimes there are none. Be that as it may, I cut corners and managed to join up with the formation, navigating purely on time and direction. In 1995, there was no GPS or other navigation system to assist you, navigation was purely carried out using direction, speed, time and of course your Eye Ball Mk II (a jokey pilot term for human eyeballs).

As soon as I joined up, two of the interceptors showed up — one behind my sub section leader and the other one trailing him. I shot both down (meaning took pictures of them through my gun camera) — and lo and behold lost sight of my other formation members who by then were reaching their waypoint from where they were getting into formation for weapon release. I went at very high speed and caught up with them, and dropped my weapon — which was on the pin. All this when I had very little experience on type. I was adjudged exceptional for that mission. Air Commodore of the inspection agency (later retired as an Air Marshal) came up on the podium and lauded my flying, situational awareness and mission accomplishment. There was a big party after that. Once of my colleague (whom I lost later in a crash, may his soul rest in peace) started calling me Douglas Bader after that. This was one of the most memorable missions that I flew. In time, later in life there were many. Yeah ! This really stand out as most exciting peacetime mission.”

Which aircraft have you flown DACT against and which was the most challenging ?

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Image: Group Captain MJA Vinod

“I have flown DACT against most aircraft of IAF’s inventory and against the Eurofighter Typhoon. I would say fighting a Typhoon was very challenging. It was October 2010, when Eurofigher Typhoons visited Kalaikunda Air Base as part of Exercise Indradhanush.

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Image: Group Captain MJA Vinod

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Image: Group Captain MJA Vinod

I was commanding a MiG-21 unit there, when Group Captain John Hitchcock Station Commander of RAF Coningsby, the team leader of the Indradhanush exercise was detailed to fly with me in MiG-21 trainer. My wingman was a young British pilot flying a Typhoon. It was a mission where the Typhoon was to going demonstrate its capability and we were supposed to observe.

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Image: Group Captain MJA Vinod

Typhoon did everything it should – extremely well – like picking us up on its air-to-air radar and locking onto us and joining up with us using onboard avionics etc. All these were perfect until it came to low-speed manoeuvring. That is when, modern aircraft with all its safety systems onboard do not let you do things which only a manually flown fighter can do. In the low-speed regime Typhoon whizzed past in front of us like an arrow… and I wasn’t even manoeuvring.

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That’s when he probably realised the true meaning of man-machine combo. We repeated this in straight and level flight — and in a turning fight where below a certain speed a modern fighter just slides ahead of a MiG-21… unless he turns away and comes back around to finish you off. For him to execute this he needs to have sufficient information and situational awareness. After landing, Group Captain John Hitchcock presented me with his first ever Typhoon badge and called me ‘A hell of a pilot’.”

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Image: Group Captain MJA Vinod

How good were the sensors ?

“The MiG-21 has many versions in the IAF, Type 74 (which I haven’t seen, as it went back to Russia when Type 77s were inducted) to MiG-21 Bison. The Type-77, when it was inducted, had a very potent air-to-air radar which for its time was very advanced. It had a Radar Warning Receiver (RWR), a datalink system (called Lazur), radio altimeter, a non-toppling Artificial Horizon called the ‘Agada’ etc. For its time, the older version of MiG-21 was state of the art — and an enigma for the Western world. That was until Operation Diamond happened and Munir Redfa defected with an Iraqi MiG-21 to Israel.
The same is the case with the modern MiG-21 Bison, it has a state-of-the-art radar, beyond visual range missiles and a great navigation system etc. This was the very type of aircraft that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman flew and brought a Pakistan’s F-16 down.”

How easy is to fly? What is the hardest thing about flying it ?

“I wouldn’t say it is easy to fly a MiG-21, it takes a while to master this aircraft. Most pilots will tell you this, hardest thing is landing a MiG-21. It has the highest landing speed in the world, at high altitude airfields she can clock a landing ground speed of 450km/h. For some of the training aircraft it is beyond the Velocity Never Exceed (VNE). The MiG-21’s airspeed indicator starts at 200km/h, Russians didn’t find the need to show you speeds less than 200km/h. Imagine that.”

Is the cockpit tiny?

“Yes, it is a snug fit, therefore there are stringent anthropometric requirement to fly this aircraft. Tall pilots, especially ones with long legs or torsos, cannot fly this aircraft. Long legged pilots would not have the requisite clearance required to eject, lest you hurt your leg in the process. Long torso pilots cannot sit in the aircraft and close the canopy.”

How would you rate the cockpit?

“Ease of access, over the shoulder visibility, feeling of you strapping an aircraft to yourself because of the snug fit of the cockpit; I personally would rate the cockpit very high. The comfort level in the cockpit of a MiG 21 is very high. Some critical switches can be reached without even taking your hands off the throttle and stick, this was designed in a time when HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) was a concept that was unknown to the world.”

Have you fired live weapons- if so, what was it like?

“I have fired all weapons that a MiG 21 can fire, both air-to-air and air-to-ground. Like I said before, being a manual aircraft the deciding factor of the weapons delivery accuracy was your skill… completely. In the older versions of MiG 21 you fired eye-balling through a gunsight estimating ranges through the sight and your seat-of-the-pants. I can safely say, I was good at it and people who know me will vouch for it. There was a time when my rocket firing score was ‘zero metres’ meaning all were on the pin. Same goes for my bombing scores, they too were exceptional. Air-to-air firing too, I guess I excelled in it.
In a nutshell, I would say, the MiG-21 bolstered our (many other pilots like me ego ) well!”

“In the low-speed regime Typhoon whizzed past in front of us like an arrow… and I wasn’t even manoeuvring. That’s when he probably realised the true meaning of man-machine combo.”

How confident would you feel going against a modern F-16 or MiG-29 ?

“It is not an apples-to-apples comparison. Modern day fighters have systems assisting you. Superior radar, helmet mounted sighting systems, great RWR, Counter missile systems, electronic warfare systems like the self protection jammers etc. The older version MiG-21 had none of these, so they are clearly out of the fray. The MiG-21 Bison is the most modern MiG 21, and it is formidable in all of these — the only downside being the limited endurance that a MiG-21-class of aircraft has. Eventually it is the man-machine combo that makes or breaks an air combat.

What is the greatest myth about the MiG-21 ?


“The epithet ‘Flying Coffin’ that was thrust upon it by some people; nothing could be farther from the truth. A couple of things need to be understood by all and sundry. Firstly, the MiG-21 is a fighter designed in the ’50s and inducted in the ’60s. Show me one fighter of that era which has a better safety record than a MiG-21. It is a single-engine fighter and when it loses that engine, it needs to be re-started (called a ‘relight’). More often than not it relights, but it takes a finite amount of time to relight any jet engine, so if you are below the minimum height (so with insufficient time to relight) you have to leave the aircraft. I haven’t heard of a single time when MiG-21 ejection seat quit on someone. I have had engine quitting on me, on take-off, and here I am giving this interview. I think calling the MiG-21 as ‘flying coffin’ is the biggest myth. Our previous Air Chief, ACM BS Dhanoa proved to everyone that indeed it is the safest of aircraft, by flying it as and when he could. In fact, his last flight was with Wing Commander Abhinandan.”

How combat effective is the MiG-21 today ?

“MiG-21s have served its time well in the IAF and in couple of years we will see them being retired gracefully in totality. Even today MiG-21 Bison is serving IAF well. In the recent skirmish, remember it was the MiG-21 which got us an air-to-air kill.”

How reliable and easy to maintain is it ?

“Like I said before, its safety record — in its class — is the best. You can’t compare it to modern fighters, you need to compare its safety record to Chinese Q-5s, American Phantoms, Starfighters, and English Electric Lightnings. It is a fighter of that time. Comparing with those fighters, it outlasted its peers easily. Why? Because of its performance and its ease of maintenance.”

Tell me something I don’t know about the MiG-21 ?

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“The air intake cone that you see in front of a MiG 21, is not a simple cone. It is bi-conic: at high mach speeds two shockwaves form one oblique wave at the point where the cone angle changes angle and one at the intake lip. Both these shockwaves capture maximum pressure and slows the air down to 0.4 mach in front of the engine for it to work efficiently. This is not a well-known fact.”

What tips would you give new pilots coming onto the MiG-21

“Well there are no real MiG-21 pilots left in the world, not many young pilots are going to MiG-21 squadrons. The ones there are, they know everything that it is to know about it.”

Should it be retired ?

“It is nature, everything, like you and me, will live our useful life. Humans who were originally associated with this beautiful machine are all long gone. She too will be retired one day, gracefully.”

“Our seniors told us do not engage a Harrier in a turning fight. Seduce him to go vertical then you can have him, post VIFFing she would take a long time to accelerate, that is the time to catch him. That’s what we did with the harrier, let him fall out of the sky and pick him. If you aren’t careful, the Harrier would have you, fair and square.”

What is the hardest manoeuvre to pull off in a MiG-21 ?

“An outside drop. You can’t for certain say, you will be able to pull off and outside drop on a MiG-21 perfectly, every time. Outside drop is a manoeuvre in which you drop on to an enemy fighter who is turning away from you and you have to outmanoeuvre you aeroplane to reach the kill zone behind that aeroplane, perfectly.

What should I have asked you ?

“You questions are well-designed. However, this interview is not enough to talk about everything that is interesting about the MiG-21. She is an institution in itself, being the jet fighter produced in the greatest number, and it has seen more action that any other jet fighter. It’s a ‘been there, done that’ aeroplane. I don’t think there will ever be a fighter that could come anywhere close to what the MiG-21 has achieved in its lifetime.”

In air combat with a MiG-29, who would have the advantage and why ?

“Like I have said before, the MiG-21 is a pure manual fighter. She fights beautifully in the vertical plane, that’s why instantaneous and sustained turn rates aren’t relevant fighting a MiG-21. Vertically down or up, she can turn and catch any fighter at rates more than 90degs a second. I once flew a DACT mission against two MiG-29s, I didn’t engage them in a turning fight. I kept my fight vertical and got two kills. The deal with the MiG-21 is you cannot pitch your weakness against enemy’s strength. The MiG-21 fights well in the vertical plane and one shouldn’t be reluctant to use its vertical plane to fight.”

How would it perform in within-visual-range combat against a Hunter ?

“I may be only few who flew against a Hunter and a Harrier. I must tell you this, in a low speed fight both these fighters will spin web around a MiG-21. MiG-21’s strength is in its speed, so the deal is keeping your speed high take them on in the vertical. Both will fall out of the sky, that is the time to pick them from top, like a hawk picking it pray from above.”

Hawker Hunter versus MiG-21
“This sortie was flown when Hunters were towing the target for us for air-to-air firing. Having finished the requisite numbers of missions, my CO decided to fly against a Hunter. The Hunter in turned around and scored a kill. A repeat manoeuvre was the same story. One couldn’t outmanoeuvre a Hunter in a turning fight, but the Hunter was a subsonic aircraft and beyond a particular speed she just wouldn’t accelerate. The key was to create separation from the Hunter and come from top, like a hawk.”

Sea Harrier versus MiG-21

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“The story is similar with the Sea Harrier. The Sea Harrier does something called a VIFF (vectoring in forward flight) where she would turn around like a top in turning fight. Our seniors told us do not engage a harrier in a turning fight. Seduce him to go vertical then you can have him, post VIFFing she would take a long time to accelerate, that is the time to catch him. That’s what we did with the Harrier, let him fall out of the sky and pick him. If you aren’t careful, the Harrier would have you, fair and square.
At the end of the day, at the cost of repetition I say this: it is your ‘sang froid’, mastery of the machine, situational awareness and knowledge of the enemy aircraft. These is the sure recipe for a successful outcome in air combat.”



Manual aircraft have an advantage over fly-by-wire designs?

“These can’t be compared; modern machines are built with a purpose. The pilot is also an input in the control loop. His manoeuvring inputs are demands that the aircraft tries to meet, within the safety and manoeuvring parameters. Modern aircraft have many aids to assist the pilot and controller on ground or on the AWACS to make an informed decision. They all form important elements — spokes in the wheel — with the wheel being warfighting. Modern day warfighting is complex, spread out over hundreds of kilometres — and more often than not you will never get to see your kill. This is all opposed to an aircraft, like the MiG-21. The MiG-21 has no frills, only the joy of pure flying, akin to barnstorming if you will. It would be unfair to compare the MiG-21 to more modern aircraft, except in one aspect. That is: below the safety speeds — if you can still manoeuvre — manual aircraft let you do it. The danger involved in doing this is high though. In an FBW aircraft, below safe speeds or safe angles-of-attack the aeroplane takes control of the machine and only hands it over to you once you are safe to manoeuvre again. This is where manual aircraft can score over modern aircraft with FBW. But then in modern warfare it is not envisaged that you will ever get into such a scenario. If you do, you would either be long shot down or the enemy has run out of ammo and he is now engaged with you to finish your fuel and make you eject. There is no reason why a modern aircraft would engage you in low-speed fight if he knows he is at a disadvantage.”

Special thanks to Group Captain Vinod and Angad Singh.

Flying & Fighting in the MiG-21: Interview with Group Captain MJA Vinod
 
In the aviation world, especially that of fighter aircraft, MiG-21 is an icon. The aircraft entered production in 1959 and over a period of next 25+ years, more than 11,000 MiG-21s of various variants were produced. If we factor into account the Chinese copy of MiG-21, J-7, into account, then more than 14,000 aircraft have been produced till date.

MiG-21 was designed as a high speed, high altitude interceptor, working with ground control interception environment, to shoot down incoming American bombers towards USSR mainland. The way it was supposed to work was this – after radars had identified the American bomber, a ground controller, using information about the enemy and own aircraft, would direct the MiG-21s towards the incoming bomber, placing them in a favourable position to launch their missiles. This mode of operation was also successfully employed by Vietnam People’s Air Force (VPAF) of North Vietnam, in air battles against the United States Air Force (USAF). The North Vietnamese ground controllers would direct and position their MiG-21s in a favourable position with respect to USAF strike aircraft; VPAF fighters would fire their AA-2 ‘Atoll’ or K-13 short-range, infra-red missiles at the USAF fighters and then immediately scoot away at high speed. If not actually hitting the USAF strike aircraft (the infra-red technology wasn’t too great then), the attack forced them to jettison their payload and abort their missions.

Indian Air Force went on to adapt this short-range, high speed, high altitude interceptor for a variety of roles. From air combat to ground attack to reconnaissance to electronic warfare; MiG-21 in IAF service has done what even the original designers had never envisaged when they had designed this aircraft.

After having done all the above, sometime in the 1990s, IAF worked out the most comprehensive upgrade on MiG-21, turning this venerable fighter into a formidable fighting machine – this is how the MiG-21 Bison was ‘born’.


“In life, you offered this pilot a seat more coveted than that of a king’s; in death, you took an air-warrior to his glorious Valhalla.”

These words by former Air Chief Marshal A.Y. Tipnis, who led the Indian Air Force (IAF) during Kargil War in 1999, sum-up the feeling which fighter pilots, who’ve cut their teeth on MiG-21, have for this fighter aircraft.

Which is understood because no other aircraft has seen such extensive service in the IAF as MiG-21. IAF and MiG-21 love affair started in 1963-64 when about 09 Mig-21 aircraft, comprising of six MiG-21 PF (Type 76) and three MiG-21 F-13 (Type 74) entered service.

No 28 Squadron, aptly named ‘First Supersonics’, was raised in the early 60s to induct this new fighter from USSR. Interestingly, IAF had evaluated American F-104 ‘Start Fighter’ and French Mirage-III and it seems, IAF pilots had a favourable view of the American fighter. But then Cold War shenanigans and USSR offer of license production of MiG-21 in India tilted the scale in MiG-21s favour.


Over the years, IAF has operated various types of MiG-21. Overall, IAF has had more than 900 MiG-21s in service since 1963-64; it reached its peak strength in the early 90s when in excess of 20 Squadrons were operating various types of MiG-21s.

In addition to the nomenclature given by the Soviet Union to various types of MiG-21s, IAF also followed its own nomenclature. Which I think was given by HAL and went by (Type-XY).

(1) MiG-21 F-13 (Type 74) [NATO reporting name: “Fishbed C”]

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Mig-21 F-13 (Type 74)

This was one of the two types of MiG-21s to be first inducted into No 28 Squadron in the IAF. It was also the second type of MiG-21 to be produced by USSR. Type 74 had one internal cannon and could also carry 2 x K-13 ‘Atoll’ air-to-air missiles. While I don’t have exact numbers of how many MiG-21 F-13 were operated by IAF, my assessment is that no aircraft after the initial lot of 06 aircraft were imported.

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Type -74 in IAF colours(2) Mig-21 PF (Type 76) [NATO reporting name: “Fishbed D”]

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MiG-21PF Fishbed at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Along with Type-74, this was the second type of Mi-21 which was initially inducted in the IAF. A total of 06 MiG-21 PF (Type 76) were inducted. The main difference between Type-74 and Type-76 was that Type-76 carried an R1L airborne intercept radar but did not have an internal cannon. As the below-mentioned incident shows, this lack of canon was to prove troublesome during 1965 war .

“Since the Kutch alert, 28 Sqn had moved to Adampur and was on high alert. Training, especially missile firing drills, radar operations and interception, had been intensified. Leave had been cancelled. India’s first supersonic squadron was itching to show its stuff, especially against the PAF’s F-104. After the first few Combat Air Patrols (CAPs) over Pathankot from Adampur, one flight was moved to Pathankot. Mally Wollen (who had taken over as CO) fired a missile at a Sabre, but it missed because of the ground clutter at low altitude. Unfortunately, he was flying a Type-76, which didn’t have a cannon. When he landed back he is supposed to have said “For a cannon! Just for a cannon!” He was so frustrated that he almost brushed the Sabre with his fin”.​
A total of 12 aircraft of this type were operated by IAF.

(3) MiG-21 FL (Type 77) [NATO reporting name: “Fishbed D”]
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Mig-21 (Type 77) from No 8 Squadron ‘Eight Pursoot’

This was the first MiG-21 variant which was both masses inducted into IAF and also mass produced in India under license by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It was an enhanced version of MiG-21 PF (Type 76) and featured an R2L search-and-track radar. Like MiG-21 PF (Type 76), it also did not have internal cannon. However, after experience in the 1965 war, IAF ordered GP-9 gun packs, which could be mounted on the underbelly of the aircraft. However, mounting the GP-9 gun pack meant that MiG-21 FL (Type 77) could not mount an external fuel tank and this impacted the combat radius of the fighter. Combat radius with GP-9 gun pack and without external fuel tank was about 100 miles while with fuel tank it was 140-180 miles [source: Eagles Over Bangladesh – IAF in the 1971 Liberation War (Authors: PVS Jagan Mohan and Samir Chopra)].

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Mig-21FL (Type 77) with GP-9 Gun Pack and K-13 AAM

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Another image of Mig-21FL (Type 77) with underbelly GP-9 gun pack and K-13 missile


Production of MiG-21 FL (Type 77) started from 1966 onward and a contract for 195 aircraft was placed on HAL. By 1971 war, about 150 MiG-21 FL (Type 77) were in the inventory of IAF; production continued till 1973 [source: Eagles Over Bangladesh – IAF in the 1971 Liberation War (Authors: PVS Jagan Mohan and Samir Chopra)].

The last MiG-21 FLs were retired in 2013.

MiG-21 FL (Type 77) had played a crucial role in the 1971 war. In the aerial combat, its score was:

  • Lockheed F-104 Starfighter – 04
  • Shenyang F-6 (Chinese copy of the MiG-19) – 01
  • Canadair F-86 Sabre – 01
Six MiG-21s were lost in combat due to various reasons out of which only one was lost in Air to Air Combat – to an F-86 Sabre on the last day of the war.

This high-speed interceptor was adapted by IAF in the ground attack role. It took leading part in neutralizing the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) airfields in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, thereby denying PAF any space to intervene in the land battle.

The prowess of IAF MiG-21 FL (Type 77) crew in the ground-attack role is best illustrated in the attack on Governor’s House in Dacca which led to the resignation of the Governor and civilian authority in then East Pakistan Th details of the incident are narrated below

Amazingly, as soon as I alighted from a chopper at Tezgaon on the day after surrender, the first person who came rushing to me was a Russian. He had learnt from another member of our party that I had flown one of the MiG-21s which had bombed the runways. He asked me point blank to tell him honestly which kind of bomb sight we used for such pinpoint bombing and effectiveness.​
He said he saw bombs falling for days nowhere else but on the runways. I thanked him for the compliment and reminded him that we were flying their MiG-21s and they should know as to which gun sights they had provided to us. He shook his head in disbelief. He had read the PAF claims that Indian MiG-21s in the east were using laser gun sights. No one was ready to believe the truth that what we actually only used the same old primitive fixed gun sight for our bombing.​
The accuracy achieved was through our extensive training practice orientation, selection of attack techniques appropriate to the situation, sheer determination, motivation and guts in the face of enemy fire. The No.28 ‘First Supersonics’ were soon named ‘Runway Busters’ by the C-in-C of EAC, Air Marshal H.C. Dewan. We had earned our spurs and found a place in the history of air warfare.​
Another very famous incident associated with MiG-21 FL (Type 77) and the Bangladesh Liberation war is the attack on Governor’s House on 14th December 1971.
On 14th December I had just returned from a close-support mission in the morning from Mainamati Cantonment when Group Captain Wollen came rushing to our operations room and said, “Bhoop, a very critical and urgent task has come from Air HQ. There is a very important meeting going on at Circuit House, Dacca and this building needs to be attacked at 1120 hrs.”​
I told him that, first it was already 1055 and it required 21 minutes to be at Dacca and then “Where in God’s name is the Circuit House located in Dacca?”​
He said, “If you hurry up you can just about make it. Here, I have tourist map of Dacca and here, next to this road crossing is the Circuit House.” I looked back at him, the Circuit House was part of a densely populated area of Dacca and from the air one could see hundreds of road crossings, how was one to pick that one? I simply said, “Yes Sir, it shall be done.” I borrowed that map from him to be taken along and with this, search for that Circuit House after getting overhead Dacca.​
For this mission I was taking four MiG-21s loaded with 32 high explosive rockets each. I was strapped in the cockpit of the aircraft and started the engine, just when I saw one of our Flight Commanders waving a paper and run towards me. “Sir, this is for you.” It read, Target is Government House, repeat Government House and not Circuit House. Confirm understood. Best of luck and good shooting. Mall.”​
I raised my thumb to confirm that I had noted the change. I quickly scanned the tourist map in my lap and located the Government House and taxied out. At this stage I did not inform of the change to the other three members of my team which consisted of Flight Lieutenant Vinod Bhatia, Flight Lieutenant Raghavachari and Flight Lieutenant Malhi as I did not want to announce this on R/T for the whole world to know.​
Airborne and as we were approaching Dacca and had barely a minute to go, I gave the new target to my numbers 2, 3 and 4. I described the rough location of the target and asked them to look for it. Flight Lieutenant Bhatia spotted it first, calling that the target was at 11 o’clock, 500 yards away. It was a magnificent old styled palatial building with a high dome, situated in the middle of a lush green compound. There were quite a few vehicles inside the entrance gate.​
I did a “chakkar” around it to reconfirm its identity and then ordered the attack taking the building from broad side. I aimed at the room below the dome, others took on other portions. We did two passes each and fired 128 rockets into the Government House.​
By the second attack smoke and dust could be seen rising from many locations from the abode the mightiest in East Pakistan. It obviously broke the backbone of the civilian Government. Two days later General Niazi, the Supreme Commander of the Pakistan Military in East Pakistan was to surrender to the Indian Defence Forces along with 93,000 troops.​
MiG-21c1.jpg


C-779 is the same legendary fighter aircraft, which was flown during the air strike on the Governors house in Dacca in the 1971 Indo-Pak War. Wg. Cdr. B.K. Bishnoi, CO of the No.28 Squadron, was flying C-779 during that very mission

(4) MiG-21 M/MF (Type 96) [NATO reporting name: “Fishbed J”]
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A trio of MiG-21MFs from No.108 Squadron, in colourful markings used for air combat training

The evolution of MiG-21 continued in USSR and next iteration of the type, which as supplied to third world countries was MiG-21M where M stands for Modernizirovannyy (“Modernised”). It was termed as Type 96 in IAF service. Compared to MiG-21 FL (Type 77), MiG-21 M (Type 96) had an internal Gsh-23L, twin-barrel, 23mm cannon. It had four pylons (2 under each wing) which could carry external fuel tanks (on outer pylons) and missiles. It was the first multi-role version of MiG-21 series.

A further evolution of MiG-21 M (Type 96) was MiG-21 MF (Type 96F) when MF stood for Modernizirovannyy (“Modernised”), F = Forsirovannyy (“Uprated engine”). Compared to MiG-21M, which had R11F2S-300 engine, it had R-13-300 turbojet engine. The MiG-21M/MF also featured the first instance of Zero-Zero ejection seats (pilot could eject even if aircraft was stationary and on the ground).

MiG-21 M/MF started entering service from 1973 onward. A total of 158 aircraft of this type (93 MiG-21M and 65 MiG-21 MF) entered into IAF. It equipped four squadrons and one flight in IAF. As per one ex-fighter pilot, it was a much-loved version of MiG-21. The last of the type was retired from IAF in early 2018.

MiG-21 M/MF also has a strong connection with the Kargil War of 1999.

A MiG-21 MF, piloted by Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, Vrc, from 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’ was on a photo-reconnaissance mission in the Kargil sector. At the same time, Flt Lt Nachiketa was on a ground attack mission in his MiG-27. While undertaking his mission, Flt Lt Nachiketa’s fighter suffered an engine flameout (engine shut in mid-air) and he had to bail out.

In an attempt to identify the final location of Flt Lt NAchiketa, so that he could pass on the coordinates to rescue team, Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja continued to circle in the area. By doing so, he exposed himself to man-portable air defence system (MANPAD) – which are basically shoulder launched surface to air missiles carried by Pakistan Army occupying the high mountains. Subsequently, he was hit by an FIM-92 ‘Stinger’ missile. His last communication was, “Hercules, something has hit my plane, the possibility of missile hit cannot be ruled out, I am ejecting over…(location).”

It is believed he was killed by the Pakistan Army after he’d safely landed on another side of Line-of-Control.

Interestingly, the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrow’ during the Kargil War was present Chief of Air Staff (COAS), ACM B.S. Dhanoa.

  • The MiG-21Bis (Type 75) is an advanced variant with further improved avionics indicated by the ILS antennae under the nose and on the fin tip.
  • The airframe has a lifespan of 2,685 hours.
  • Standard avionics include automatic radio compass, IFF and a Sirena-3 RWR system.
  • The gyro gun-sight maintains precision up to 2.75 g.
  • Automatic ranging can be fed into gun-sight.
  • Full blind flying instrumentation with attitude and heading indicators given by radio-controlled gyro platform.
  • The aircraft also has a search & track radar.
MiG-21bis_2.jpg
MiG-21bis [C2776] in a mottled green-yellow Camo Scheme flying over the Himalayas
MiG-21 Bis (Type 75) went on to be the most numerous of MiG-21 types to enter service with IAF. A total of 290 of this type were ordered by the IAF.

Incidentally, one of the first squadrons to take part in Operation Safed Sagar, the name which IAF gave to air campaign in Kargil War, was the Srinagar based No 51 Squadron ‘Sword Arm’, the very same Squadron to which Wing Commander Abhinandan belongs. At that time, it was equipped with MiG-21 Bis.

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MiG-21 Bis of 51 Sqn being readied for the strike during Kargil War in 1999 (source: @leopard212)Another famous incident associated with MiG-21Bis (Type 75) is the downing of a Pakistan Navy Atlantique aircraft in the Gujarat sector.


Only a month after Kargil War had been declared as over, on 10th August 1999, IAF radars detected a Pakistan Navy Atlantique maritime patrol aircraft approaching the International Border (IB). The aircraft violated Indian airspace multiple times. As it tried to flee back into Pakistan, Squadron Leader Bundela of No 45 Squadron ‘Flying Daggers’ shot down the Pakistan Navy aircraft with an R-60 air-to-air infra-red heat-seeking missile

Sometimes towards the late 90s, IAF took a decision to enhance the combat potential of venerable Mig-21. This was the time when Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project had been launched and it was expected to replace Mig-21s in IAF service. However, decision-makers in the IAF rightly felt that the objectives of the LCA program were very ambitious and given the state of India’s industrial capability, unlikely to be realized in the projected time-frame.

Therefore, as an interim measure, a decision was taken to modernize 125 MiG-21 aircraft. The MiG-21 Bis (Type 75), being the ‘newest’ of the type in IAF service were chosen as the candidate for development. ‘New’ here being a relative term because last MiG-21Bis was manufactured at HAL in 1985.

The upgrade was done by a consortium of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and MiG-MAPO along with other Indian agencies. The first two aircraft were upgraded in Russia and joined IAF in 2001. Thereafter, the upgrades were done in Indian by HAL. The first squadron to be equipped with MiG-21 Bison was No. 3 Squadron, ‘Cobras’. The feedback of the first set of pilots who flew the upgraded MiG-21 Bison was :

The pilots termed the aircraft as a ‘revelation’ – They were most impressed by the avionics and new systems, though the airframe and engine were the same. All five pilots reported the change as ‘fantastic’.​
Mig-21 Bison of No 32 Squadron ‘Thunderbirds’ displaying the entire set of armaments it can carry
The main upgrades added to MiG-21 are as follows:

  • Phazotron NIIR’s Kopyo multimode, X-band pulse Doppler radar
  • Ability to fire R-73
    • Close Combat Missile or Within-Visual-Range missile (WVR) – the one fired by Wing Commander Abhinandan to shoot down PAF F-16D
  • Ability to fire R-77 missiles
    • Medium range or Beyond-Visual-Range Missile (BVR)
  • SURA helmet mounted sight
    • Used in conjunction with R-73 missile. This allows the MiG-21 Bison pilot to target enemy fighter by simply looking at it; this is called as off-boresight capability because own pilot does not have to position his aircraft behind enemy aircraft. He can target the enemy fighter flying certain degrees to his left or right by simply turning his head towards the target.
  • New nosecone
  • New canopy and single-piece windshield
    • This gives much better visibility to the pilot as compared to older MiG-21 Bis.
  • Sextant’s TOTEM RLG-INS with NSS-100P GPS embedded GPS receivers
  • El-Op Head-up Display (HUD)
  • Sextant MFD-55 LCD display
  • Autopilot
  • DRDO’s Tarang radar warning receivers (RWR)
  • The digital flight data recorder
  • New liquid-air cooling system
  • Hands on Throttle and Stick (HOTAS) controls
    • Reduces the pilot workload and allows him to more efficiently manage various functions
  • Twin conformal Vympel flare dispensers (26mm, 120 rounds)
    • For protection against heat seeking missiles
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IAF relocates MiG-21s to Nal base as it prepares to replace the fleet


Some of the Indian Air Force’s last Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighter jets have silently bid adieu to their home base at Suratgarh in Rajasthan and been relocated by IAF to the sprawling Nal desert fighter base near Bikaner, where the only other remaining Indian MiG-21s are based, as the world’s fourth largest air force prepares the ground to pull these iconic planes out of service and begins raising its new Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA Mk-1A) fleet in July, senior officials aware of the matter said on Thursday.

IAF has completed the relocation of the Suratgarh-based No 23 Squadron, better known as “Panthers”, to Nal, which is home to the MiG-21s belonging to the No 3 Squadron or “Cobras”, and the last of the air force’s MiG-21s are now operating from the same airbase, said one of the officials cited above on the condition of anonymity.

Both squadrons operate the MiG-21 Bison, the last variant of the single-engine workhorse. A fighter squadron usually consists of 16 to 18 fighter jets.

“The MiG-21 Bisons have been moved from Suratgarh to Nal as IAF wants to optimise their maintenance, service and spares to keep the fleet flying till the conversion of the two squadrons to LCA Mk-1A is completed during 2024-25,” said a second official who also asked not to be named.

The conversion of the first of the two MiG-21 squadrons to the locally made LCA Mk-1A will begin after the state-run plane maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) delivers the first aircraft to IAF, he said. The air force is likely to get delivery of the first LCA Mk-1A in July 2024. It ordered 83 Mk-1As for ₹48,000 crore in February 2021.

The first Mk-1A was to be delivered to IAF by March 31, 2024, but HAL missed the deadline as key certifications were still pending. It made its maiden sortie from an HAL facility in Bengaluru on March 28.

HAL now plans to deliver 16 of these fighters to IAF in the financial year 2024-25. It has set up a new production line in Nashik for LCA Mk-1As to meet IAF’s growing requirements. It can build 16 LCA Mk-1As every year in Bengaluru, and the Nashik line will help HAL ramp up production to 24 jets.

The delivery of the 87 jets on order is expected to be completed by 2028.

The induction of the MiG-21, India’s first supersonic fighter, began in 1963. IAF has operated a raft of MiG-21 variants over the last six decades --- Type 74 or MiG 21F, Type 76 or MiG 21PF, Type 77 or MiG 21FL, Type 96 or MiG 21M, Type 75 or MiG 21 Bis (upgraded Type 96) and the MiG-21 Bison.

The MiG-21’s 60-year history in IAF has been punctuated by accidents that have put the Soviet-origin aircraft’s safety record under running scrutiny and led to an understandable chorus of concern and calls for its early replacement. With upgrades, IAF has managed to keep them flying for so long.

In April, the defence ministry issued a tender to HAL for the proposed acquisition of 97 more LCA Mk-1As to strengthen the air force’s capabilities at a time it is grappling with a shortage of fighter squadrons. The new fighter planes are expected to cost around ₹67,000 crore.

LCA Mk-1A is an advanced variant of the LCA Mk-1, which is already in active service. LCA is set to emerge as the cornerstone of IAF’s combat power in the coming decade and beyond as it is expected to operate around 350 LCAs (a mix of Mk-1, Mk-1A and Mk-2 versions).

Forty Mk-1 jets operated by IAF are in the initial operational clearance (IOC) and the more advanced final operational clearance (FOC) configurations --- the first variants of LCA.

More than 400 MiG-21s have been involved in accidents that have killed around 200 pilots, earning the fighter jets unfortunate epithets such as “Flying Coffin” and “Widow Maker”. To be sure, more MiG-21s have crashed than any other fighter because they formed the bulk of the aircraft in IAF for the longest time.

In the 1980s and 1990s, these planes accounted for more than 60% of the air force’s fighting strength. The maiden batch of six MiG-21Fs entered service in March-April 1963 and IAF progressively inducted 874 MiG-21s.

IAF will deploy the Mk-1As at forward air bases in the western sector to bolster its combat readiness against Pakistan and fill voids left by the gradual phasing out of the MiG-21s. It phased out the MiG-21 Bisons belonging to the No 4 Squadron (“Oorials”) based at Uttarlai in Rajasthan and the Srinagar-based No 51 Squadron, which is also known as “Sword Arms,” during 2022-23.

The LCA project was sanctioned in 1983 as a replacement for MiG-21s. IAF raised its first LCA Mk-1 squadron in Sulur with two aircraft in July 2016. While the existing Mk-1 and Mk-1A variants will replace MiG-21 fighters, the Mk-2 aircraft is planned as a replacement for the MiG-29s, Mirage-2000s and Jaguar fighters that will start retiring in the coming decade.