The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday retired the No. 51 ‘swordarms’ MiG-21 fighter Squadron based in Srinagar. With this the IAF is left with three MiG-21 Bison squadrons, which will be phased out in the next three years.
The Squadron had stopped its flying operations from June 30, 2022 ahead of its number-plating, the IAF said in a statement. The Squadron was number-plated at a ceremony on Friday.
After aircraft are decommissioned, squadrons are raised again with new aircraft. In ‘number plating’ a squadron is placed in reserve, post phasing out of existing aircraft, until it is re-operationalised with new aircraft in future.