New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) Inducted in the 1980s to counter the threat posed by Pakistan's F-16 jets, the last of swing-wing MiG-23 interceptors of the Indian Air Force will be retired Tuesday

The squadron that operated the flying machines will be temporarily 'number plated' March 31, which means they will cease flying operations till the Air Headquarters decides on their new role.

There will, however, be no chink in the defence shield against the F-16s as combat jets like the MiG-29 have already taken over the role.

Having soared the Indian skies for some 24 years and logging nearly 32,581 flying hours, the 224 Squadron of the IAF, christened the Warlords, will end its tryst with the veritable air superiority fighter at the frontline Air Force Station Jamnagar of the South Western Air Command (SWAC).

The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi, and the SWAC chief, Air Marshal P.K. Mehra, will be among those present to bid the aircraft adieu.

"The historic flights will herald the transition of the MiG-23 into the annals of military aviation history while also marking the end of an era in the IAF," an air force spokesman said Monday.

At its peak, the IAF operated two MiG-23 squadrons - 223 and 224. The former converted to the MiG-29 in May 1989.

The Warlords became operational July 1983 at AFS Adampur in Punjab with its primary role being Air Defence (AD) and the secondary role Ground Attack (GA). The squadron moved to Halwara, also in Punjab, in April 1996 and finally to Jamnagar in September 1997.

It was also assigned the peacetime secondary role of Banner Target Towing (BTT) to enable pilots hone their shooting skills.

In BTT, a 9x3-metre banner of a special fabric is attached behind the tow aircraft, which is specially modified with a cable extending up to 320 metres.

The tow aircraft flies a pre-set pattern and the other fighters practise firing their front guns at the target. At the end of the exercise, the banner is jettisoned at a pre-designated point and the bullet hits are counted to judge the accuracy of firing.

The banner and the tail of the towing aircraft are painted orange to facilitate spotting by the firing aircraft.

The MiG-23 was one of the first IAF fighters to be equipped with R-23 R and R-23T BVR (Beyond Visual Range) Air-to-Air missiles. It could also carry 96 rockets or 1.5 tonnes of bombs of 100, 250 or 500 kg calibre.