MiG-21 Retirement: Squadron Leader Priya Sharma to Feature in Historic Flypast

Chandigarh | September 25, 2025 After over six decades of service, the legendary MiG-21 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force is set to be officially retired, with a grand farewell scheduled at Chandigarh Air Force Station, where the aircraft first joined the IAF in 1963. The last of the MiG-21s, belonging to No. 23 Squadron, nicknamed the “Panthers,” will receive a ceremonial decommissioning and a spectacular flypast on September 26, marking the end of an iconic chapter in India’s air defense history. Among the pilots participating in this historic event is Squadron Leader Priya Sharma, a 2018 graduate of the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, and the seventh woman fighter pilot in the IAF. Commissioned as a Flying Officer by then Army Chief Bipin Rawat, Sharma hails from Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan, and followed her father’s footsteps into the Air Force. An engineer by training, she was the only woman fighter pilot in her batch. Her early postings included Hakimpet Air Force Station in Hyderabad, followed by advanced fighter training at Bidar Air Force Station, Karnataka. Sharma’s passion for aviation was inspired by her childhood experiences watching Jaguar and Hawk aircraft in flight while her father was posted at Bidar. She has now become part of a historic moment, having flown in formation during the IAF Chief’s MiG-21 farewell sorties at Nal Air Force Station, Bikaner, contributing to the ceremonial display of the aircraft she admires. The farewell will be led by Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who will fly the last sortie of the Squadron under the call sign ‘Badal 3’. The six jets participating will receive a water cannon salute upon landing, and Squadron Leader Sharma will play a key role in orchestrating the final maneuvers. The event will also be attended by Rajnath Singh, and feature a breathtaking performance by the IAF’s elite skydiving team, Akash Ganga, jumping from 8,000 feet. The flypast will showcase fighter pilots in the three-aircraft ‘Badal’ formation and the four-aircraft ‘Panther’ formation, accompanied by the precision of the air warrior drill team and the aerial stunts of the Surya Kiran aerobatic team. The MiG-21, often hailed as a “national warhorse,” has played a pivotal role in India’s air operations, including the 1965 and 1971 wars, the 1999 Kargil conflict, and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes. To commemorate the retirement, the IAF will release a special postal stamp, celebrating the jet’s historic contribution and six decades of service that symbolized courage, skill, and national pride. This farewell not only honors the aircraft but also the pilots like Squadron Leader Priya Sharma, who carry forward its legacy, blending India’s rich aviation history with the emergence of a new generation of fighter pilots ready to take to the skies. Heading: Squadron Leader Priya Sharma in MiG-21 Farewell Content: The legendary MiG-21 fighter jet is set to retire after more than six decades of service in the Indian Air Force, with a grand farewell at Chandigarh Air Force Station. Squadron Leader Priya Sharma, the seventh woman fighter pilot in the IAF, will participate in the ceremonial flypast, having also flown in the rehearsal. The event will feature the “Panther” and “Badal” formations, a water cannon salute, skydiving display by Akash Ganga, and aerobatic stunts by the Surya Kiran team. The MiG-21, a national warhorse, played key roles in India’s major conflicts and now takes its final flight.