Our MiG, which shot down Pakistan’s F-16, will retire: Sword Arm Squadron will retire this month, Wing Commander Abhinandan’s MiG-21 part of it

MiG-21 fighter jets plan to retire Jammu and Kashmir based squadron. This squadron, named Sword Arm, can be retired by the end of September.

In some reports, the retirement of this squadron is being claimed by quoting sources. In February 2019, a day after the Balakot strike, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was part of this squadron, shot down a Pakistan fighter jet F-16.

All MiG-21 squadrons to retire by 2025
​​​​​​​The sword arm is also one of the remaining 4 squadrons of the aging MiG fighters. Sources say that the remaining 3 squadrons will also be retired in a sequential manner. This process will be completed by 2025.

Abhinandan awarded with Vir Chakra, now Group Captain

In February 2019, there was a terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama. 40 soldiers were martyred in this. Two weeks later, on 26 February, IAF fighter jets conducted an air strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed’s camp in Balakot.

After this Pakistan tried to target Indian military bases on 27 February. Abhimanyu Varthaman responded to this aerial attack. He shot down an F-15 in a fight with a Pakistan jet.

Abhinandan’s MiG-21 Bison also crashed during this fight. He was taken hostage by Pakistan, but India brought him back. He was awarded the Vir Chakra on the occasion of Independence Day in 2019.