Barmer crash fallout: IAF to retire one MiG-21 squadron in two months; entire fleet by 2025

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is going to retire one more squadron of MiG-21 Bison aircraft by the end of September this year. The remaining three planes in service would be phased out by 2025. The decision comes a day after a MiG-21 Type 69 aircraft crashed in Rajasthan’s Barmer, killing both pilots. “The 51 Squadron based out of Srinagar air base is being number plated on 30 September. After this, only three squadrons of the planes would be left in service and would be phased out by the year 2025,” news agency ANI quoted its sources in the IAF saying. Every year, one squadron each of these planes would be number plated, sources added. On Thursday, IAF MiG-21 trainer aircraft crashed in Barmer in Rajasthan around 9:10 pm during a training sortee. Both the pilots including a young Flight Lieutenant A Bal and Wing Commander Rana died in the incident. Also Read: IAF's MiG-21 fighter jet crashes in Rajasthan's Barmer, both pilots dead The Soviet-era MiG-21s were first inducted into the IAF in the 1960s. However, the MiG-21s have been plagued by safety issues. It is also worth mentioning that the 51 squadron is famous for thwarting Pakistan’s aerial attack on India on 27 February, 2019, and taking out an F-16 in an aircraft flown by Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhinandan Varthaman. This is the only instance when a MiG-21 aircraft brought down an F-16 in air-to-air combat, ANI sources said. Don’t Miss:  From 1963 to 2022: The long history of the Indian Air Force’s MiG-21 and its many crashes Notably, the IAF has been replacing the MiG-21 fighter jets with more capable aircraft including the Su-30 and the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). In about last couple of years, six MiG-21s have been lost in crashes in which five pilots have lost their lives. The MiG-21s were supposed to retire a long time back but delays in induction of the LCA Tejas aircraft have pushed the IAF to continue flying these planes. With inputs from ANI Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.