Air Platforms

Indian MiG-21 lost in training accident

02 February 2015
A MiG-21, similar to this, was lost in a training accident on 31 January. It was the fourth Indian military aircraft to be lost this year. Source: IHS/Patrick Allen

An Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-21 'Fishbed' fighter aircraft crashed during a routine training exercise on 31 January.

The single-seat aircraft came down in the coastal Gujurat region not far from the Pakistan border, local media reported. The pilot ejected and was recovered shortly after.

An investigation into the cause of the loss has been launched.

ANALYSIS

This MiG-21 was the second MiG to be lost that week, and the fourth Indian military aircraft to be lost in 2015. So far this year, a Heron unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a MiG-27 'Flogger', a Cheetah helicopter, and now a MiG-21 have crashed.

This follows on the back of 12 losses in 2014, comprising three Jaguar strike aircraft, one MiG-21, one MiG-29 'Fulcrum', one Su-30MKI 'Flanker', one An-32 'Cline' transport aircraft, one C-130J Hercules transport aircraft, one Dhruv helicopter, one Chetak helicopter, one Cheetah helicopter, and one Heron UAV.

While there have been no fatalities to date in 2015 (although one civilian on the ground was injured when the MiG-27 crashed), 11 personnel were killed in 2014.

India has an appalling record of aircraft losses over recent years, and measures supposedly introduced by military and political leaders appear to be having no effect in reducing this attrition rate.



(206 words)
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