India to ground MiG-21 fighter jets by 2025: report

NEW DELHI, 31 July 2022, (TON): A newspaper reported “India will ground all its Soviet-era Russian fighter jets, the MiG-21, by 2025, following the death of two officers in a crash, the latest in a series of casualties involving the single-engine jet’s failure.”

The Times of India quoted unnamed Indian Air Force officials as saying the MiG-21s have long past their retirement but must be replaced before being grounded.

The report did not specify what portion of India’s fighter-jet capability would be affected. The Wion news outlet said the air force has around 70 MiG-21s.

The air force and defence ministry have been buying aircraft from Western makers in recent years.

A senior defence ministry official declined to confirm or deny, discussions on the future of the MiG-21 were underway, as sourcing of spare parts from Russia was increasingly difficult due to the war in Ukraine.

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