Final ‘Fishbed’ stands down from European active duty
December 3, 2024
Marking the end of an era, the last of the cold war-era Mikoyan MiG-21 fighters in Europe have stood down from operational duty, with the Croatian Air Force finally retiring the type from duty after 32 years. Zagreb’s 191st Fighter Squadron will now continue preparing for the arrival of its final Rafales, with the squadron to become fully operational with its new steed of choice in 2025.
Once a ubiquitous type across Eastern Europe, the withdrawal of the supersonic fighter and interceptor follows a similar phase-out by Romania, which decommissioned its MiG-21 LanceR fleet in May 2023 after more than 60 years in service. Serbia utilised the type for a similarly long time, bidding goodbye to its final ‘Fishbed’ aircraft in May 2021.
With Croatia’s MiG-21s finally withdrawn from QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) duties, the peacetime protection of Croatia’s airspace will temporarily be transferred to Hungary and Italy (operating the Saab Gripen C and Eurofighter F-2000 respectively) as Croatia readies its incoming Rafales to take up the gauntlet in 2025. Seven of the 12 Rafales purchased from the French Air and Space Force in November 2021 have been delivered to date, with the remaining four to be delivered at a rate of one a month until the squadron is complete in April.
