Squadron 51 on Friday bid adieu to service as part of the IAF plan to phase out its fleet of MIG-21 fighter jets. Known as ‘Sword Arms,’ the squadron became a house hold name when one of its pilot Wing Commander(now Group Captain)Abhinandan Varthaman flying his Mig-21 shot down a Pakistani F-16 in aerial combat three years back.
The IAF is sticking to its schedule of phasing out ageing MiG-21 fighter jets and will retire the remaining four squadrons(one squadron has 18-20jets)by 2025.
The Migs were inducted into service in the early 1960s and over subsequent years several mishaps took place involving this jet thereby raising a question mark about its flight safety record. The number-plating of the 51 Squadron was done on Friday. It is a process by which IAF keeps a unit on paper, while re-posting all personnel attached to it to another squadron.
The unit will now exist notionally. Mig-29s will now be deployed there, sources said. The ‘Sword Arms’ was raised on 1 February, 1985 under the command of Wing Commander V.K. Chawla.