India, July 23 -- The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to retire the remaining Russian-origin MiG-21 fleet in a ceremonial decommissioning on September 19 at the Chandigarh airbase, media reports said.

Two squadrons of the MiG-21 Bisons are currently active for the Indian Air Force.

India procured more than 700 MiG-21 aircraft of different variants, such as the Type-77, Type-96, BIS and the Bison, since the aircraft's induction in the IAF in 1963

The MiG 21 is India's first ever supersonic jet, acquired as part of a deal with the erstwhile Soviet Union in 1963.

The phasing out of the aging MiG-21 fleet was originally scheduled to be concluded by 2022.

However, it was held up due to the delay in the planned induction of other fighter jet...