MiG-21 was a demanding mentor that helped build factories from dust, transformed farm boys into fighter pilots, and dragged an entire nation into the brutal reality of modern warfare.
In May last yr, Squadron Leader PD Dongre's aircraft suffered critical failure soon after take-off, necessitating a flapless landing, a challenging configuration for MiG-21 Bison.
IAF down to 31 fighter squadrons on paper against sanctioned strength of 42. Number will go down further next year when 2 remaining squadrons of MiG 21 Bison get phased out.
Total number of crashes this year is more than twice that in 2020. But defence sources say this is ‘within expected levels’ when measured against the total flying hours.
The IAF wing commander, who has resumed flying following his crash in the aftermath of the Balakot strikes, flew a MiG-21 Type 69 aircraft as co-pilot.
The plan is to make Abhinandan Varthaman fly during the Apache attack helicopters induction ceremony in Pathankot on 3 September. He’s medically cleared.
Russia, which buried the MiG-21 in 1985, has asked for 3 aircraft for demonstrations of vintage flying. India, which still uses it, has agreed to the gift.
Israel sees Iran as an existential threat. But the US, Turkey & Gulf states fear refugee flows or attacks on oil sites. These countries need a stable end-state for the whole region over more strikes.
New consumer basket, expanded markets & digital datasets aim to make inflation estimates more representative, says MoSPI Secretary Saurabh Garg. Henceforth, MoSPI aims to revise base yr every 5 yrs.
As per the timeline decided, 5 prototypes of India’s own fifth-generation fighter are set to be rolled out by 2031, with the first by 2028 using the GE 414 engine.
The key to fighting a war successfully, or even launching it, is a clear objective. That’s an entirely political call. It isn’t emotional or purely military.
Socialist Modi govt might be thinking how much it will earn by selling the scraps of MiG 21s to fund socialist schemes and garner votes.
Excellent article!