RAS question
Which fighter jet was formally retired by the Indian Air Force in 2025 after over 60 years of service?
Correct answer: (A) MiG-21.
The Indian Air Force formally retired the MiG-21 Bison in 2025 after over 60 years of service.
Explanation
The fighter jet retired by the Indian Air Force in 2025 was the MiG-21 Bison, the MiG-21 variant named in the official IAF farewell source. The MiG-21's exceptional service span makes the retirement especially significant: it was India's longest-serving fighter jet and was formally decommissioned on 26 September 2025 after more than six decades in IAF service. The retirement was then marked around the 93rd Air Force Day on 8 October. The 2025 formal retirement after over 60 years of service and the official farewell apply only to the MiG-21 Bison, not to the other IAF fighters.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Mirage 2000 does not fit because the official farewell and decommissioning on 26 September 2025 involved the MiG-21 Bison after over 60 years of IAF service.
- (C) Jaguar is wrong because India's longest-serving fighter jet formally decommissioned on 26 September 2025 was the MiG-21 Bison.
- (D) MiG-29 is not the answer because the 2025 formal retirement after more than six decades was specifically of the MiG-21 Bison.
Concept
Current defence technology and Indian Air Force modernisation are recurring RAS themes because major retirements, inductions and service milestones link science and technology with national security.