Conveying a strong message about the safety of Mig-21 fighter jets, IAF head Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa flew a solo sortie on the jet at a forward air base in Rajasthan on Thursday.
“ACM Dhanoa flew a MiG-21 Type-96 aircraft solo, which is the oldest fighter fleet in the IAF inventory. He flew the same type of aircraft during Kargil operations and carried out many night strike missions in the mountainous terrain,” the IAF said in a statement.
First visit as chief
Air Force officials said that ACM Dhanoa is on a visit to Air Force Station Utarlai, near Barmer in Rajasthan, from January 12 to 14, his first visit to a forward operational base after taking over as Chief of the Air Staff on December 31. He is visiting the forward air base in the western sector to assess operational readiness and review the morale of the personnel stationed there, the statement said.
The ageing single engine Mig-21s procured from the Soviet Union have had a troubled history and are now in the process of being replaced.
In 2001, then Air Chief ACM A.Y. Tipnis had flown a solo sortie in a Mig-21 at Chandigarh to allay concerns about their safety, following a series of crashes, and declared that it was “fit to fly.”
