The MiG-21 LanceR aircraft belonging to the Romanian Air Force will have their last flight on Monday. In the first part of the day, ceremonies take place simultaneously at the air bases at Campia Turzii, Borcea, and Bacau, where aviation enthusiasts can see these planes take off, fly and land for the last time in the equipment of the Romanian Air Force.
According to Airdefense.ro, from 1990 until today, 26 MiG-21 aircraft have crashed, the last tragedy taking place in March 2022. As a result of that incident, the Ministry of National Defense announced the suspension of flights, then the withdrawal of the planes. The Ministry later reversed the decision and announced their withdrawal on May 15, 2023.
The MiG-21 LanceR aircraft belonging to the Romanian Air Force will be decommissioned based on the Decision of the Supreme National Defense Council of May 18, 2022, for the approval of the Memorandum on “Decommissioning the MiG-21 LanceR aircraft and the accelerated transition to the operation of F -16 of the equipment of the Romanian Air Force”.
Thus, on Monday, starting at 11:00, ceremonies began simultaneously in the 71st Air Base “General Emanoil Ionescu” Câmpia Turzii and in the 86th Air Base “Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociorniță” Borcea, which will end with the takeoff of the last MiG-21 aircraft LanceRs in operation to the 95th Air Base “Erou capitan aviator Alexandru Şerbănescu” Bacău, where they will be withdrawn from service.
The Romanian Air Force will continue to perform the Air Police permanent combat service with the F-16 aircraft in the equipment, supported by the allied aircraft deployed in Romania, within the mission of Enhanced Air Police (enhanced – Air Policing), under NATO command. Also, the ground-based air defense systems will continue to carry out Air Police missions under national command, as well as within the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defense System (NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defense System),” informed the daily past Ministry of Defence