On May 20, Indian Air Force (IAF) grounded the entire fleet of MiG-21 jets. The decision came two weeks after the crash in Rajasthan that killed three. The ageing fleet of Soviet-origin aircraft is set to be phased out by the year 2025. There are around 50 MiG-21 aircraft in three MiG-21 squadrons of the IAF. Notably, since its induction in the Air Force, the aircraft has been involved in 400 accidents.
MiG-21 has been part of IAF since the early 1960s. A total of 700 fighter jets were procured during that period to boost the over-combat capabilities of the Air Force.
Keeping the aim of modernising the Air Force’s combat capabilities, the Government of India has already procured 36 Rafale jets. In February 2021, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was given an order of 83 Tejas jets. The deal was worth Rs 48,000 crores. The Air Force is currently in the process of acquiring 114 Medium Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA).
MiG-21 crash killed three
On May 8, a Mig-21 Bison aircraft airborne from Suratgarh air base crashed over a village in Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. As per reports, the aircraft was on a routine training sortie when it crashed. The pilot suffered minor injuries. Three people were killed in the accident. The IAF initiated a probe to find the exact cause of the crash.
