The IAF's Swing-Wing fighter jet MiG-27 flew its last sortie at the Jodhpur Air Force station on December 27. This marks the end of another Russian MiG series of fighters in the Indian inventory. The IAF’s combat strength has now fallen to 28 fighter squadrons From 1985 onwards, the IAF has flown about 165 MiG-27 fighters.
The fighter jets were licence-manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). They were originally built by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union.
The MiG-27 figher was a technologically sophisticated machine for its time. But over the years it has become unreliable and unsafe despite being upgraded by the HAL. The IAF will continue to operate three squadrons of the upgraded MiG-29UPG for sometime .
The IAF’s combat strength has now fallen to 28 fighter squadrons.
At the ‘winding down’ ceremony the aircraft from the No. 29 Squadron (SCORPIOS) flew for the last time. Marking the end of the variable sweep (Swing-Wing) era of the IAF. Swing-Wing is an airplane wing, or set of wings that may be swept back and then returned to its original straight position during flight.
To commemorate the historic occasion, the squadron flew in a five aircraft ‘Arrowhead’ formation flanked by Sukhoi 30 aircraft as a mark of respect.
