Military Digest: 60 years of MiG-21 in the Air Force and its first home in Chandigarh

The Indian Air Force recently marked 60 years of induction of the MiG-21 into its fleet of aircraft. The No. 28 Squadron, which was equipped with the first lot of MiG-21 aircraft, was raised in Chandigarh with Wing Commander (later Air Chief Marshal and Chief of Air Staff), Dilbagh Singh taking over its command on March 2, 1963. Interestingly, the Station Commander of Air Force Station Chandigarh at the time was Group Captain Trilok Nath Ghadiok who raised the No. 44 Squadron in Chandigarh in April 1961. The squadron was equipped with Soviet-origin AN-12 transport aircraft and Captain Ghadiok commanded…