Archive · 26 Aug 2026
The Last Salute Celebrates MiG-21’s Six-Decade Indian Air Force Legacy
The MiG-21 was a very fast fighter jet used by India for 62 years.
It flew missions such as spying, protecting the country and attacking targets.
A new Netflix documentary remembers the aircraft as it leaves active service.
The film shows pilots talking about the excitement and difficulty of flying it.
They say pilots had to be extremely careful and well trained.
The documentary also discusses accidents involving the jet and different views about its safety record.
Families are shown as an important part of supporting pilots.
Overall, the film celebrates the MiG-21’s long history and the people connected to it.
The 79-minute Netflix documentary pays tribute to the retired MiG-21 fighter jet.
Directed by Kushal Srivastava, it serves as a companion to Operation Safed Sagar.
The film follows 23 Squadron’s final operational days before the September 26, 2025 ceremony.
Pilots describe the MiG-21 as thrilling, demanding and unforgiving to fly.
It acknowledges safety controversies while celebrating the aircraft’s service and pilots’ families.
- Who
- The documentary features serving and retired Indian Air Force pilots, including Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, Air Chief Marshal (retired) Birender Singh Dhanoa, Air Commodore S.S. Tyagi and Squadron Leader Priya Sharma.
- What
- The Last Salute: A Love Letter to MiG-21 is a documentary about the fighter jet’s retirement and legacy.
- When
- The film covers events leading up to the formal culmination ceremony on September 26, 2025.
- Where
- The ceremony takes place at the Chandigarh air station, where the MiG-21 was inducted into the Indian Air Force in 1963.
- Why
- The documentary commemorates the MiG-21’s 62 years of Indian Air Force service and the pilots and families connected to it.
Documentary’s pilots and defenders
Safety critics and concerns
MiG-21 safety record
Documentary’s pilots and defenders
Officers interviewed in the film argue that the MiG-21’s accident record should be compared with the safety records of other fighter jets and criticize media coverage for not making that comparison.
Safety critics and concerns
The aircraft’s allegedly poor safety record in its later years remains a significant controversy, with its demanding design and narrow margin for error highlighted in the documentary.
Whether the aircraft could continue flying
Documentary’s pilots and defenders
One serving pilot says the MiG-21 may still have had many more years of service and would not want to say goodbye to it.
Safety critics and concerns
The MiG-21 has been retired from active operational service, and the documentary presents its final flypast as the end of its active chapter.
- Title
- The Last Salute: A Love Letter to MiG-21
- Platform
- Netflix
- Runtime
- 79 minutes
- Director
- Kushal Srivastava
- Production
- Matchbox Shots
- Final operational squadron
- 23 Squadron
- Retirement ceremony
- September 26, 2025, at Chandigarh air station
- Service period
- The MiG-21 served in the Indian Air Force for 62 years