Having been in service for over 5 decades, MiG-21s were the mainstay in IAF's combat fleet for a long period of time.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has temporarily grounded its entire fleet of MiG-21 fighter jets. Having been in service for over 5 decades, IAF currently has around 50 MiG-21 plans made up of three squadrons in service.
The IAF moved to take the Russia-made fighter aircraft fleet off air after the recent MiG-21 crash in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh earlier this month on May 8, reports said citing people familiar with the matter on Saturday.
The incident and IAF probe
The May 8 incident saw a MiG-21 Bison crash into a house in Hanumangarh shortly after taking off for a routine training sortie from the Suratgarh Air Force Station in Rajasthan. The pilot survived but three other people were killed in the crash.
The accident again put spotlight on the safety concerns around MiGs. Inducted into the IAF in the early 1960s, the ageing jet has been involved in around 400 accidents since then despite being the main IAF combat aircraft for a long time. IAF has procured over 870 MiG-21 fighter jets in total. Only around 50 remain in service.
The IAF has undertaken an investigation to uncover the cause of the accident. the MiG-21 aircraft will go under evaluation and checks and will stay grounded until the probe determines the cause of the Rajasthan crash.
“The main objective of the investigation is to find out the cause of the accidents involving these aircraft. The MiG-21 has been grounded till the investigation is completed and the exact cause of the accident is ascertained,” an official close to the matter was quoted as saying.
The MiG fleet will only be allowed to fly after clearance from the teams carrying out the scrutiny of the jets.
IAF’s plan for phasing out MiGs
The Air Force is already in the midst of phasing out the ageing fleet. All MiG jets are slated to be pulled out of service by early 2025, as per Defence Ministry officials. Replacing the MiGs will be the 83 Tejas jets that IAF has a deal for with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as part of its modernisation plan. The Air Force has already 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.
(Inputs from IANS, PTI)
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