Which generation is MiG-21 Bison?

On 11 December 2013, India’s second-generation supersonic jet fighter, MiG-21FL was decommissioned after being in service for 50 years.

How many MiG-21 Bison does India have?

IAF operates four squadrons of MiG-21 Bison aircraft — a squadron has 16 to 18 fighter jets. The last of these upgraded MiG-21s are set to be phased out in the next three to four years.

What is the cost of MiG-21 Bison?

The cost of one unit of MiG-21 fighter aircraft is around Rs 177 crore.

What is the most advanced version of the MiG-21?

The two Bisons that crashed this year — the first accident took place near Suratgarh in Rajasthan on January 5 — are the most advanced variants of the MiG-21 fighter planes. The MiG-21 Bis (an upgraded variant of the plane flown for the first time in 1976) was further upgraded to MiG-21 Bison in India in 2000.

How many MiG have crashed in India?

Of the 872 MiG-21s progressively inducted by IAF, over 400 have been lost in accidents since 1971-72, killing over 200 pilots and almost 50 civilians on the ground, as was earlier reported by TOI.

Is the Mirage 3 better than the MiG-21?

Mirage 3 is significantly better. When comparing military systems, you can write essays about specs, but at the end of the day, for evenly matched technologies, the best indicator is combat performance, and Mirage 3 excelled at combating the Mig-21, just ask the arabs Can a MiG-21 defeat an F-16?

What is MiG-21 Bison?

MiG-21 is one of the most widely used fighter aircraft of the IAF. This single-engine, single-seater multirole fighter aircraft of Russian origin forms the backbone of the IAF. MiG-21 BISON is a multi-role, all-weather air defence aircraft which can hit a maximum speed of 2,230 kilometers per hour (Mach 2.1).

How good is the MiG-21 in dogfight?

Though the MiG-21 is not a very large aircraft, it can fly at a very high speed which allows it to sneak up to enemy planes from low altitude. The presence of a delta wing, just like Mirage 2000, makes the MiG 21 highly manoeuvrable in dogfights.

What is the difference between the MiG-21 and the F-16?

The MiG-21 is a third-generation supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, which was introduced into the Soviet military in 1959. The F-16 is a fourth-generation supersonic multirole fighter, which entered service with the US Air Force almost two decades later.