- A Jaguar aircraft crashed near Churu, Rajasthan, killing one pilot and injuring another
- This is the third Jaguar crash in India since March 2024
- The Jaguar jets were inducted into the IAF in 1979 and are ageing aircraft
Two fighter pilots were killed after a Jaguar aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Churu district in Rajasthan on Wednesday afternoon. The plane crashed in an agricultural field in Bhanoda village around 1.25 pm, according to police.
"An IAF Jaguar Trainer aircraft met with an accident during a routine training mission and crashed near Churu in Rajasthan today. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries in the accident. No damage to any civil property has been reported," IAF said in a post on X.
The Air Forces said it "deeply regrets" the loss of lives and constituted a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident.
But it is to be noted that this was the third Jaguar crash this year since March. On March 7, an Anglo-French SEPECAT Jaguar ground attack fighter went down near Ambala during a routine sortie. At the time, the pilot was able to eject safely, but the incident highlighted the risks of flying these ageing aircraft.
Just a month later, on April 3, another Jaguar jet crashed in Gujarat's Jamnagar. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Siddharth Yadav, died in the crash that occurred due to a critical technical malfunction in the aircraft. In a remarkable act of bravery before his death, Lieutenant Yadav saved countless lives by steering the crashing aircraft away from a densely populated area. He also ejected his fellow pilot, ensuring his safety before tragically losing his own life.
Too Old To Fly?
The Jaguar jets were inducted into the IAF in 1979. The twin-engine fighter aircraft forms an important part of India's nuclear triad, but the Indian Air Force is the only operator of these low-flying fighter bombers-- the majority of which were licence-built by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under a transfer of technology from SEPECAT, a joint venture between France's Breguet and the British Aircraft Corporation.
Countries like Britain, France, Ecuador, Nigeria and Oman, which once had Jaguars in their fleet, have retired them long ago, with some jets put on display in air museums.
The IAF too, is expected to begin 'number-plating' or phasing out its older Jaguar models after 2027-28 onwards, but amid delays in acquiring the HAL Tejas Mk2, Rafale, and MRFA (Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft), it is left with little choice but to extend the life of these outdated planes.
IAF is already short on its fighter squadrons from a sanctioned strength of 42.5 to just 30 jets presently.
Enquiries into many of the earlier accidents and mishaps involving Jaguars pointed to engine failure, asserting the fact that these jets are long past their expiry date.
