The IAF has ordered a court of inquiry to find out the exact cause of the accident, even as Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also held talks with the IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari to inquire about the accident.
At least six MiG-21s have crashed since January last year, killing five pilots. In total, at least 44 soldiers have lost their lives in 46 air and helicopter crashes with soldiers in the past five years alone.
The ex-Soviet-acquired MiG-21, the first truly serious fighter inducted into the IAF in 1963, has suffered significant casualties over the years. The MiG-21 should have been retired a long time ago.
But the huge delay in inducting new fighters, especially the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), means that the IAF still operates four MiG-21 squadrons (each with 16-18 jets) after they have been upgraded to standard. “Bison”.
The MiG-21, which has the fastest landing and takeoff speed in the world at 340 km/h, is a 1960s invention and does not have modern systems with built-in safety systems.
