The Russians have asked India for three MiG-21s as gifts, to showcase vintage flying, back home

3,862 views · Published 3 October 2018 · 1:20 · Indexed 27 September 2026

Channel: ThePrint · 2018 · News & Politics

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The Russians stopped manufacturing the MiG 21 that the Indian Air Force still flies as one of its frontline fighter aircraft in 1985.

 

In one of the greatest ironies of aviation history, the Russians have asked for, and India has agreed, to gift three MiG 21s for the price of their cartage back to Moscow.

 

The gift is yet to be formally announced. Indian Air Force sources said that that would depend on the ministry of external affairs because “this would be a government-to-government and not an air force-to-government deal”, as one official explained. Asked if the IAF was ready to release three aircraft, the official responded: “that can be done at any time”.

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