Till now in the history of Indian Air Force, many fighter planes have taken up the air front in the security of the country. Be it MiG-29 fighter jet, MiG-21, MiG-30 MKI, Rafale, Tejas or any other, but among all these fighter planes, the history of the Russian-made MiG-21 fighter plane has been very illustrious. During its long service, Russia’s MiG-21 fighter aircraft was deployed on many war fronts for the defense of India.
This fighter aircraft has also carried out many successful air operations in Pakistan. Indian Air Force’s MiG-21 fighter aircraft is among the few fighter jets in the world which have shot down Pakistan’s advanced F-16 fighter jet made in America. MiG-21 fighter aircraft has served in the Indian Air Force for 62 years. After this, the Air Force officially retired this aircraft in September 2025, but recently some pictures have surfaced, in which retired MiG-21 fighter aircraft are seen and these aircraft have sparked online debate.
Dozens of MiG-21 fighter planes seen in pictures
In fact, recently satellite photos of Gujarat’s Naliya Air Force Station (AFS) have surfaced, in which the entire fleet of retired MiG-21 fighter aircraft from the Indian Air Force has been seen scattered in the apron and surrounding stands. According to the IDRW report, dozens of delta-winged aircraft were seen standing in a line in pictures taken from satellite. Some of these aircraft were seen parked inside camouflage nets or under the open sky in the desert area of the base located near the shore of the Arabian Sea.
The images have sparked online debate over the Naliya Air Force Station, once a major hub of MIG-21 Bis operations, which has turned into a dump yard or long-term storage site for retired MiG-21 fighters after being officially removed from active service. However, these images are more in line with the conditions at Air Force bases, where retired Air Force aircraft are often kept under preservation, being cut for parts or awaiting final decisions, rather than immediately being scrapped.
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