The MiG-21 fighter jets, decommissioned by the IAF after 62 years on Friday, participated in several ground attacks and air defence missions. It played a crucial role during the 1965 and 1971 wars against Pakistan, and the Kargil conflict in 1999. In 2019, a MiG-21 Bison shot down Pakistan's F-16 fighter jet during the Balakot conflict.