Air Force grounds MiG fighter jets pending probe into crash over Rajasthan

Rajasthan,May 20 :  Two weeks after a crash involving a MiG-21 jet over Rajasthan killed three, the Indian Air Force has decided to ground the aging fleet of Soviet-origin aircraft which have been involved in over 400 accidents since their induction.

The entire fleet of MiG-21 fighter aircraft has been grounded as the investigations into the May 8 crash are still on and the reason behind the crash is being probed, top government sources told India Today.

The MiG-21s used to be the mainstay of the IAF for a long period of time. After its induction in the early 1960s, the Indian Air Force procured over 700 MiG-21 fighters to boost its overall combat prowess.

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At present, the IAF has three MiG-21 squadrons with a total of around 50 aircraft. The IAF last year finalised a timeline of three years to phase out the remaining MiG-21 fighter squadrons. The plan to phase out the Soviet-origin aircraft fleet is part of the IAF’s modernisation drive.

In February 2021, the government sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of 83 Tejas jets. The IAF has already procured 36 Rafale jets to enhance its combat capabilities. The Air Force is also in the process of acquiring 114 Medium Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA).

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In December 2021, Gen Bipin Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, his wife Madhulika and 11 other armed forces personnel died when an Mi-17VH helicopter crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.

-PTI