Early morning on Wednesday the IAF lost another MIG-21 aircraft that was on a routine training mission. The plane had flown from district HQ in Madhya Pradesh. Fortunately, the pilots managed to eject to safety.
Another MIG-21 Goes Down
Since 2016 the Indian air force has lost 27 aircrafts 15 of which comprised of fighter jets and helicopters. These figures include the fighter jets flown by IAF pilot Abhinandan, that was shot down by PAF after its violation of Pakistan’s airspace.
The plane crashed around 10 am in Choudhary-ka-Pura in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district. After the crash locals rushed to inform the police which later informed the IAF district HQ in Gwalior. The pilots managed to parachute to safety. One pilot is under treatment.
Recent Crashes In Indian Airforce
The Soviet-era MiG-21 is the backbone of the IAF and has been involved in more crashes than any other counterpart. Just recently, another IAF fighter jet went down in Rajasthan resulting in the death of a pilot.
The constant crashes of MIG variants have earned it the tag name the flying coffin. Over the years in order to replace its increasingly obsolete aircrafts Indian has embarked on various projects and has signed various defense deals with other countries.
Steps India Has Taken To Remedy the Situation
An 8.8 billion dollar deal was recently signed between India and Rafael as a result of which it will get 36 new desalt fighter jets. In the most recent aviation conference held in India, the IAF revealed the name, model, and external specification for its future main multirole fighter called the F-21.
The fighter will be made in India by the joint collaboration of Boeing and TATA. The plane will be solely available for the use of the Indian air force.
