IAF allots a MIG-27 to Rajkot for permanent display

“We had approached the Ministry of Defence (MoD) around a year ago with a request to allot a fighter plane to RMC. We pursued the matter with the Ministry subsequently and the IAF allotted us a MIG-27 fighter aircraft for installation,” Rajkot municipal commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani told The Indian Express.

Pani said the now-grounded fighter jet had been acquired by India from Russia in 1984 and that it had served in Kargil war of 1999. It had a total of 1800 flight hours while in service,” the commissioner further said, adding RMC was the first municipal corporation in entire country to be allotted such an aircraft following a formal request.

A team of IAF technicians will reassemble the plane at the fire-station, apply a fresh coat of paint and help install it at redesigned traffic island at Kotecha Chowk. “The platform is ready and we the plane will be installed at Kotecha Chowk by Sunday evening,” the commissioner added.

With this, Rajkot will become third city in Gujarat to have a fighter aircraft as installation in public place. Gandhinagar, the state capital and Dhrangadhra town in Surendranagar district, where there is a military station are the other two urban centres to have such installations.

“The installation will make people of Rajkot feel proud of the IAF,” the municipal commissioner further added.