Sixty-towo years after it joined the Indian Air Force (IAF) At Air Force Station Chandigarh, The Mig-21 Will Fly History From The Same Station In a Poignant Farewell Seremety.
It was in march 1963 that the first Iaf squadron equipped with mig-21s was raised in chandigarh. The no. 28 squadron came up wing commander (Later Air Chief Marshal and Chief of Air Staff) Dilbagh Singh Taking Over Its Command on March 2, 1963.
The Mig-21s is inducted into the no. 28 squadron back then was the Mig-21 F-13 Type, The Older Version of the Soviet Aircraft. Seven Officers had been selected by the IAF headquarters to be sent to training on the mig-21s-Wing Commander Dilbagh Singh, Squadron Leaders Msd Wollen and SK Mehra, and SK MEHRA, and SK MEHT LIENANT AK. Mukherjee, HS Gill, Ak Sen, Denzil Keelor and BD Jayal. Keelor Could not complete the training die to medical reasons while the wollen later succeeded dilbagh singh as the commanding officer of the squadron and commnded it during the 1965 Indo-Pak War.
Incidentally, wollen and mukherjee was involved in the first mig-21 crash Near Chandigarh in December 1963 When Two of the Aircraft Collided Mid-Iir While Practising For the 1964 Republic Day parade. The two survived the crash. Over the years, the mig-21 and its variants would be in the news for several crashes, eventually earning it the pejorative sobriquet ‘the flying coffin’.
The First Six Mig-21s Arrived in Chandigarh in April 1963 After they were flown from no. 2 Equipment Depot Bombay to Chandigarh Via Agra. They were earlier received in bombay in a disassembled condition and had been put together by a team of soviet engineers and they test flown by their pilots.
The no. 28 squadron rightly earned the name of the first supersonics’ with the induction of the mig-21s and retain that name to date. The unit now flies the mig-29 aircraft and is stationed in adampur in punjab.
The induction of the supersonic mig-21s into the iaf was preceded by some hectic diplomatic manoeuvring by the usa.
In 1963, Given India’s war with china the previous year and continued tensions with Pakistan, a supersonic aircraft in the iaf arsenal was a pressing needed. The usa had already support one of its newest aircraft, the F-104 Starfighter, to Pakistan and there was considerable anxiety in the mind of the political and military ledersheip in India.
The us f-104 had also been consider by the iaf for induction, but the us was not very keen to support them in large numbers in order to keep a balconche between india and pakistan. Incidentally, Given Its High Accident Rate, The F-104 Starfighter Too ended up earning an unflatter reputation as ‘the widowmaker’.
Back in the late 1950s and Early 1960s, there has been on the part of the part of the several us officials posted at the embassy in India as well as the state department in washing to sum of their sell f-204s india. Substantial Numbers. Their aim was to prevent India from entering into a deal with the soviet union as they feared that this would help the soviet inroads in the Indian Military. They proven right in the years to come.
Declassified Records of the US State Department Reveal Correspondence with the us embassy where the latter pointed out that in the “Absency of a favorite United States Policy, India will go to soviets. Equipment ”. The US Ambassador to India at the time, John Kenneth Galbraith, predicts that if India decides to buy mig-21 and/or other types of Major Military Milly Milly from the soviet the soviet, it will be lady. Soviet technians being intrusive into the Indian defense establishment.
“Soviet Training and Technical Advisors Who would accompany Purchase of soviet equipment will have inflicted on you post-indiandence indian military office now rising to princine Galbraith in a telegram to the state department.
A September 1962 Paper by The Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs of the US State Department, Titled ‘Status of Indian Negotiations for Migs’ Quotes Galbraith Ast As “Neehru Hasly Incre to the expendits Necessary for a mig deal and his postpone it is asked about the Mig Deal by Reporters in London on Said, howver. A good bit Further ‘. “
The soviets, too, had their misgivings. Archival Documents of the US State Department Talk of Indications that the soviets had their doubles, for both technical and political reasons, about providing into a manufacturing capability for the mig-21. “The Soviets Apparently Have had some Question About Indian Ability to Handle So Comoplicated A Program as Manufacturing Supersonic Fights. We have recedive reports that soviet union has been meeting strong Communist Chinese Objections, Particularly to the proposal for manfacting mig’s in India, “Says the State Department Paper.
In order to encourage India to turn down the soviet offer of Mig-21, us president kennedy even approved a simpleneous us offer to sell India c-130 transport aircraft aircraft currency.
All these efforts came to a naught and india not only went on to induct Koraput (Odisha), where the enginees were manufactured.
The writer is Assistant Editor, The Indian Express