Why has Indian Air Force grounded its entire fleet of MiG-21 fighter jets?
IAF's MiG 21 Bison
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Saturday grounded its entire fleet of Russian-made MiG-21 fighter aircraft till an investigation to ascertain the reason behind the crash near Hanumangarh in the western state of Rajasthan earlier this month was completed.
"The MiG-21 fleet has been grounded till the investigations are carried out and reasons for the crash are ascertained," a senior Air Force official was quoted as saying by ANI.
On May 8, a MiG-21 Bison crashed during a routine training sortie after suffering a technical snag. Initial reports mentioned that the jet, which had taken off from Suratgarh, crashed on a house in Bahlolnagar and killed three villagers.
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According to local media reports, police said that all three killed in the crash were women. The pilot, however, managed to eject safely from the aircraft but with minor injuries.
In a tweet, IAF wrote: "A MiG-21 aircraft of the IAF crashed near Suratgarh during a routine training sortie today morning. The pilot ejected safely, sustaining minor injuries."
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Why is IAF grounding MiG-21?
IAF currently has around 50 MiG-21 aircraft in service, which comprise three of its 31 squadrons. The jet has been in service for over five decades now and remained a mainstay of combat operations. However, its reliability issues have become a significant talking point in recent times.
Inducted into the IAF in the 1960s, the jet has been involved in as many as 400 accidents. While 870 Mig-21 fighter jets were procured initially, only 50 remain standing. The jet is also referred to as the 'flying coffin' primarily due to the number of pilots that have lost their lives while flyingthe machine.
According to defence ministry officials, seeing the current state of MiG-21 aircraft, the entire batch is expected to be pulled out of service by early 2025. The MiGs will be replaced by 83 modern Tejas jets that IAF has a deal for with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as part of its
The Air Force has procured 36 Rafale jets to fortify its combat prowess. The IAF is also in the process of adding 114 Medium Role Fighter Aircraft to its combat fleet.
Previous incidents of MiG-21 crash
Last year in July, a Mig-21 trainer fighter jet crashed in Rajasthan killing two pilots aboard - Wing Commander M Rana and Flight Lieutenant Advitiya Bal.
In December 2021, Wing Commander Harshit Sinha lost his life after the Mig-21 he was piloting developed a technical snag and crashed in Jaisalmer during a training sortie.
(With inputs from agencies)
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