The MiG-21s received new registration numbers, were in flight-ready condition, and might be used for vintage flight
According to The Hindu, India gave three MiG-21 aircraft to Russia when Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a formal visit to New Delhi on October 4, 2018.
“Three MiG-21s are scheduled to be handed over to Russians based on a request from their Defence Minister to our Defence Minister. They comprise one Type 75 aircraft and two Type 77 aircraft,” an official source said.
One MiG-21bis and two MiG-21FLs were in good enough condition to fly, and they received new registration numbers so they might be used for vintage flights. They were brought back to Russia at no expense.
One of the most recognizable jet fighters in history is the MiG-21. Since its initial flight in 1955, more than 50 nations have employed different versions. The MiG-21 was known as “Fishbed” by Western forces, and some models have been in service well into the twenty-first century. Until halting production in 1985, the USSR produced more than 10,000 MiG-21s.
The MiG-21 was a dangerous foe in the Vietnam War. It was faster than American jets and more maneuverable than its main rival, the F-4 Phantom. Despite the fact that North Vietnamese MiG-21s lost the lives of around 50 American aircraft, 68 MiG-21s were downed in air combat by the U.S. Air Force (USAF).
India received full technology transfer, rights to license-build the aircraft locally, and the MiG-21 induction in 1963. It is the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) first supersonic fighter aircraft. About 120 Fishbeds were still in use by the IAF at the time, but they were phased out by 2021–2022.
Photo by Sheeju at English Wikipedia