The Indian Air Force (IAF) has announced it will retire its fleet of MiG 25s, Cold War-era spyplanes, previously shrouded in secrecy.
A spokesman said the last of the IAF's four surviving MiG-25s will be phased out of service on 1 May.

The MiGs, capable of flying at over three times the speed of sound, were bought from the USSR in 1981.

"It will be a nostalgic event and a flypast will be held," Air Vice Marshal S Mukherjee said.

He said the aircraft would be shown at various installations after they had been retired.

'Darned good machine'

India originally bought 10 of the MiGs from the Soviet Union and nicknamed the 20-ton reconnaissance planes Garuda after the mythical Hindu eagle king.

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