Indian MiGs

[fatman17]

A very detailed article in AFM-March-09 edition on IAF MiGs with some nice pictures. I cannot post the entire article but will post some interesting data:

INDIAN AIR FORCE MIG DERIVATIVES
Type, Deliveries
MiG 21F1 3, 6
MiG 21PF Fishbed, 6
MiG 21FL Fishbed-D, 259
MiG 21M Fishbed-K, 161
MiG 21MF Fishbed-J, 38
MiG 21bis Fishbed-J/M, 303 (125 were converted to MiG 21UPG Bison)
MiG 21U/UM Mongol A/B, 141
MiG 21UPG Bison, 125

MiG 23BN Flogger-H, 95
MiG 23MF Flogger-B, 40
MiG 23UB Flogger-C, 41

MiG 27M Flogger-J, 165 (38 were converted to MiG 27UPG)
MiG 27UPG Flogger-J, 38
MiG 27MI Flogger-J,

MiG 25R Foxbat-R, 7
MiG 25RU Foxbat-C, 2

MiG 29 Fulcrum-A, 70
MiG 29UB Fulcrum-B, 10

MiG Bases
1. Chabua
2. Bagdogra
3. Bathinda
4. Bareilly
5. Bhuj
6. Naliya
7. Jamnagar
8. Nal
9. Pathankot
10. Ambala
11. Uttarlai
12. Sirsa
13. Suratgarh
14. Jodhpur
15. Srinagar
16. Gawalior (1/2)
17. Kalaikunda
18. Hashimara
19. Adampur

15 Bases are devoted to the border with Pakistan.

INDIAN AIR FORCE MiG SQUADRONS
MiG 21 FL
MiG Operational Flying Training Unit-A - Chabua
MiG Operational Flying Training Unit-B - Bagdogra

MiG 21M/MF
17 Squadron, Golden Arrows, Bathinda
35 Squadron, Rapiers, Bareilly
37 Squadron, Black Panthers, Bhuj
101 Squadron, Falcons, Naliya
108 Squadron, Hawkeyes, Jamnagar

MiG 21bis
15 Squadron, Flying Lances, Nal
26 Squadron, Warriors, Pathankot

MiG 21UPG
3 Squadron, Cobras, Ambala
4 Squadron, Oorials, Uttarlai
21 Squadron, Ankush, Sirsa
23 Squadron, Panthers, Suratgarh
32 Squadron, Thunderbirds, Jodhpur
51 Squadron, Swordarms, Srinagar
ACDE, Jamnagar

MiG 27M/MiG 23UB
18 Squadron, Flying Bullets, Kalaikunda
22 Squadron, Swifts, Hashimara
222 Squadrons, Tigersharks, Hashimara
TACDE, Gwalior (1/2)

MiG 27UPG
10 Squadron, Daggers, Jodhpur
29 Squadron, Scorpions, Jodhpur

MiG 29A/U
28 Squadron, First Supersonic, Jamnagar
47 Squadron, Archers, Adampur
223 Squadron, Tridents, Adampur


MiG 21 Battles
PAF Shoots down MiG-21
December 17, 1971, Flt/Lt Maqsood Amir, flying an PAF 18 Squadron F-86E, shot down a 45 Squadron MiG-21FL over Pasrur in Pakistan. The IAF pilot Flt/Lt Terwant Singh, was captured and held as PoW.

IAF MiG-21 shoots down PAF F-104
On December 17, 1971, IAF/45 Sqdn MiG-21FL, pilot Flt/Lt Aruna K.Datta shot down a 9 Sqdn/PAF F-104A with a K-13 missile. The PAF pilot Flt/Lt Samad Changezi, was killed in action.

IAF MiG-21 shot down over Kargil
On May 27, 1999, a 17 Sqdn MiG 21MF, piloted by Sqn/Ldr Ajay Ahuja was orbiting the area above a downed IAF MiG-27, when his a/c was hit by an ANZA SAM fired from the Pakistan side of the LOC. Although Ahuja reportedly ejected safely, Pakistan said he had been killed. The a/c came down at 1105hrs some 7 miles (12Km) inside occupied Kashmir. After Ahuja's body had been handed back by Pakistan the following day, initial investigation found bullet wounds which suggested he had been shot after ejecting. This was the first time since 1971 that India had lost an a/c to hostile fire.

 

[Bull]

And where are those amazing pictures ???

 

[fatman17]

And where are those amazing pictures ???

i would have to do a scan job before posting them - I'll try my best

 

[Gabbar]

i would have to do a scan job before posting them - I'll try my best

Posts some pictures Thakur!!!

 

[blain2]

i would have to do a scan job before posting them - I'll try my best

FM Sir,

Be mindful of AFM's copyrights. Pictures could be a problem specially since they are from a very recent issue.

Thanks for the typing and posting the above data.

Also wondering when Alan Baba will be releasing his work on the PAF..any ideas?

 

[ejaz007]

Indian Air Force: MiG-23BN Fighters to Bid Adieu to Active Service
Dated 4/3/2009


The MiG-23BN ground attack aircraft, which never saw action during its 26 years with the Indian Air Force, will bid adieu to the service on Friday.

The MiG-23BN, currently operated only by the 221 Squadron of the IAF's 9 Wing, will be phased out at the Halwara airbase in Punjab after a flying display and touchdown, air force officials said today.

Bought from Russia in 1982 to counter Pakistan's air superiority F-16 fighters, the fighters never took part in any operation against the enemy.

But they were pressed into service during the 1999 Kargil war and carried out patrols during the 2001-02 stand-off with Pakistan as part of Operation Parakram.

With a dubious safety record and beset with engine troubles, the aircraft's phase out comes at a time when there were reports of burgeoning maintenance costs and problems relating to non-availability of spare parts.

Of the four squadrons the IAF had -- over 70 aircraft -- half of them were lost in air crashes and other mishaps.

"Maintaining the aircraft fleet is very expensive for the IAF, so we have to phase out the aircraft, which has served us well over two decades-and-a-half. The aircraft incur heavy financial costs for repairs and spares," an official said.

Its air superiority version, the MiG-23MF, used as an interceptor in air defence roles by the IAF, was phased out in 2007.

Indian Air Force: MiG-23BN Fighters to Bid Adieu to Active Service | India Defence

 

[fatman17]

FM Sir,

Be mindful of AFM's copyrights. Pictures could be a problem specially since they are from a very recent issue.

Thanks for the typing and posting the above data.

Also wondering when Alan Baba will be releasing his work on the PAF..any ideas?[/QUOTE]

yes i understand completely

Alan Warnes is supposed to release his book in Q-1-09. ofcourse there could be some delays. it happens on these things!

 

[Gabbar]

Indian Air Force to retire MiG-23 fighter jets
New Delhi (IANS): The Indian Air Force (IAF) will on Friday bid adieu to its MiG-23 'swing wing' ground attack fighter jets after nearly 30 years in service.

The MiG-23 BN aircraft, which were bought from the erstwhile Soviet Union to counter Pakistan's then newly acquired F-16 jets, will take to the sky for its last sortie from the Halwara airbase in Punjab on Friday.

"The jets, renamed in the IAF as Vijay (victory), were designed to replace the ageing fleet of MiG-21. They were once known as a formidable supersonic combat jets and it is going to be a nostalgic moment for us," a senior IAF official said on Thursday.

The single-seater aircraft, which was also used in Kargil War, was inducted in 1981 to meet the IAF's requirement of a tactical air strike aircraft. It also participated in operations in Siachen from 1985-86 and has operated from Leh, the highest airfield in India. It was also the first fighter aircraft to operate from the high altitude airfield Thoise in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Most of the IAF's MiG-23s have already been phased out. Its superior version the MiG-23 MF was phased out in 2007. Now we are left with only eight MiG-23 BN," the official added.

With a dubious safety record and besotted with engine troubles, the aircraft's phase-out comes because of burgeoning maintenance costs and problems relating to non-availability of spare parts.

Of the four squadrons the IAF had -- over 70 aircraft -- half of them were lost in air crashes and other accidents.

"Maintaining the aircraft fleet is very expensive for the IAF, so we have to phase out the aircraft, which has served us well over two decades-and-a-half. The aircraft incurs heavy financial costs for repairs and spares," the official added.



The Hindu News Update Service .