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MiG-21 Crash: Indian Air Force To Ground One Squadron By September, Entire Fleet By 2025
Writer: Ronit Kumar Singh
A confident and reliable journalist who always desires to toss the unheard voices. I cover politics and governance extensively through stories.
India, 31 July 2022 8:57 AM GMT
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Creatives : Ronit Kumar Singh
A confident and reliable journalist who always desires to toss the unheard voices. I cover politics and governance extensively through stories.
Recent crashes of the Russian combat aircraft, MiG-21, have left the IAF with no choice but to ground it completely. The decision to retire the entire fleet came after the MiG-21 crash in Barmer, Rajasthan, which took the lives of two pilots.
The Russian combat aircraft, MiG-21 is permanently going to be grounded by 2025, according to the Indian Air Force (IAF) officials. The decision comes in after a tragic incident in Barmer, Rajasthan, where Flight Lieutenant A Bal and Wing Commander Rana lost their life due to a MiG-21 crash.
The IAF plans to retire one squadron of MiG-21 by September this year. Following this, another three squadrons will be left in service, and that will also be phased out by 2025, The Hindu reported.
The No 51 squadron based in Srinagar will be number plated on September 30, 2022. The number plating generally refers to the retirement of a squadron consisting of 18-20 aircraft. The plan is also to phase out the three squadrons of MiG-29 in the coming years.
The IAF officials mentioned that the proposal to ground the fighter aircraft is not because of its recent crash in Rajasthan but to modernise and improve the jet fleet in the Indian Air Force. According to sources, the air force has around 70 MiG-21 on the base.
MiG-21 Contribution To National Security
The MiG-21 has contributed significantly to national security since its introduction in the air force in 1963. From Operation Safed Sagar (Kargil, 1999) to the operation of India in Pakistan in February 2019, the fighter jet has achieved many milestones. But due to increasing crashes in recent years, the IAF has reportedly concluded phasing it out by 2025.
The Defence Minister of the Congress government in 2012, A.K. Antony, informed the parliament that half of India's MiG-21 had been lost due to crashes in the last four decades. According to official data, a total of six crashes of Russian combat aircraft have been reported since last year, taking the lives of 5 pilots in the Indian Air Force.
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