DC Edit | Farewell To Veteran Air Warriors

It wasn’t just nostalgia that the farewell ceremony was suffused with as the last two squadrons of MiG-21 air force jets — Cobras and Panthers — took a bow Friday. There was a near reverence usually reserved for great soldiers and airmen that was evident for the flying machines as the veteran combat jets of 62-years standing in the Indian Air Force were decommissioned.

Having defined a whole era of warfare and earned plaudits for the victories it endowed the Indian forces with in the 1965, 1971 and 1999 wars, the jets lost their war with obsolescence. They may have become accident-borne to the extent of being termed ‘flying coffins’ as about 400 crashes were recorded over time but, in combat, they proved superior to far more expensive American jets like the F-16s that our enemies had procured.

The Russian-developed jets, which first came to India in the Soviet era to begin decades-long cooperation in military hardware, symbolised a friendship, which began when the West would not arm India for love or money, that has endured for decades. These flying fortresses which sparkled, including in the downing of a Pakistan F-16 jet by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in the wake of the Balakot strike, were lovingly called a “family member” by defence minister Rajnath Singh.

Exit MiG-21s and enter upgraded Tejas-Mk1As, of which two squadrons — Flying Daggers and Flying Bullets — are already in operation and huge deals have been signed, recently for 97 more, as these indigenous jets are ready to shine in India colours and made in India for India. Of course, keeping to delivery schedules is vital as the IAF is way short of what should ideally be 42 squadrons for covering the frontiers with all neighbouring nations.

With modern warfare to be fought mostly in the sky, the increasingly important role of the IAF cannot be overstressed. The force is badly in need of more squadrons as well as hi-tech drones to keep its reputation of a stout defender of the country. Never mind if there were losses in the recent engagement with Pakistan. The MiGs may have gone to be replaced by flying machines with modern technology, but the task of keeping the skies over India safe remains.