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With a Mig-21 Bison crashing this time, resentment building in IAF against DRDO, HAL for delay in induction of LCA Tejas
As another upgraded MiG-21 Bison fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Rajasthans Barmer on Friday morning, resentment is simmering against the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as also the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for delayed introduction of Tejas the multi-role light fighter developed by India to replace ageing MiG-21 fighters.
It was around 9.15 am that the fighter jet crashed at Sodiyar village, 40 km from Barmer immediately after taking off from the Uttarlai airbase in the Western sector on a routine sortie, said defence spokesperson SD Goswami.
Before he ejected safely, the young pilot, recently recruited, manoeuvred the aircraft in such a way that it crashed just outside the residential area of the village.
There was no loss of life or property, though the pilot was badly injured and had to be rushed to Jodhpur based Military hospital where his condition was said to be stable.
Technical sang was said to be reason, though a court of enquiry has been ordered.
Under similar circumstances a MiG-27 aircraft had crashed in Barmer on February 12 when the pilot of the rank of Wing commander had safely ejected on time.
The incident is said to have left officers in the army area agitated over the delay in the introduction of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas that was cleared as back as in January 2011 for use by IAF pilots.
It was scheduled to reach final operational clearance this year. However, according to defence sources, it has been further delayed by another year for reasons best known to DRDO, HAL and the ministry.
Defence Minister AK Antony last week hoped that the Tejas would get the final operational clearance by the end of next year. Some time back, he reportedly believed that it was not going to happen before 2015, sources pointed out.
It (the delay) is quite intriguing. I fail to understand, especially when Tejas has proved its ability beyond doubt during various runs including the recent IAF exercise Iron Fist at the Pokhran range near Jaisalmer in February this year, a highly place defence source said.
It was as back as in 1983 that the IAF underlined the need of a Tejas-like indigenous combat aircraft as a replacement for ageing MiG-21 that remained its mainstay since 1970s.
In fact the Long Term Re-equipment Plan 1981″ had highlighted that the MiG-21s would be approaching their service lives by mid-1990s and that by 1995 the IAF would lack around 40 per cent of its aircraft requirement.
The frequent crashes of the MiG-21s including its upgraded version Bison as was the case on Friday that were introduced in IAF half a century back were long back considered outdated and misfit for training.
Ironically, for frequent groundings, the fighter jet earned the epithets like flying coffin and widow maker.
India has already lost more than half of its MiG combat fleet of 872 aircraft. So far around 490 MiG aircraft accidents claiming lives of around 175 pilots, besides over 3 dozen civilians and others, have been reported so far, sources pointed out.
With a Mig-21 Bison crashing this time, resentment building in IAF against DRDO, HAL for delay in induction of LCA Tejas | idrw.org
As another upgraded MiG-21 Bison fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Rajasthans Barmer on Friday morning, resentment is simmering against the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as also the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for delayed introduction of Tejas the multi-role light fighter developed by India to replace ageing MiG-21 fighters.
It was around 9.15 am that the fighter jet crashed at Sodiyar village, 40 km from Barmer immediately after taking off from the Uttarlai airbase in the Western sector on a routine sortie, said defence spokesperson SD Goswami.
Before he ejected safely, the young pilot, recently recruited, manoeuvred the aircraft in such a way that it crashed just outside the residential area of the village.
There was no loss of life or property, though the pilot was badly injured and had to be rushed to Jodhpur based Military hospital where his condition was said to be stable.
Technical sang was said to be reason, though a court of enquiry has been ordered.
Under similar circumstances a MiG-27 aircraft had crashed in Barmer on February 12 when the pilot of the rank of Wing commander had safely ejected on time.
The incident is said to have left officers in the army area agitated over the delay in the introduction of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas that was cleared as back as in January 2011 for use by IAF pilots.
It was scheduled to reach final operational clearance this year. However, according to defence sources, it has been further delayed by another year for reasons best known to DRDO, HAL and the ministry.
Defence Minister AK Antony last week hoped that the Tejas would get the final operational clearance by the end of next year. Some time back, he reportedly believed that it was not going to happen before 2015, sources pointed out.
It (the delay) is quite intriguing. I fail to understand, especially when Tejas has proved its ability beyond doubt during various runs including the recent IAF exercise Iron Fist at the Pokhran range near Jaisalmer in February this year, a highly place defence source said.
It was as back as in 1983 that the IAF underlined the need of a Tejas-like indigenous combat aircraft as a replacement for ageing MiG-21 that remained its mainstay since 1970s.
In fact the Long Term Re-equipment Plan 1981″ had highlighted that the MiG-21s would be approaching their service lives by mid-1990s and that by 1995 the IAF would lack around 40 per cent of its aircraft requirement.
The frequent crashes of the MiG-21s including its upgraded version Bison as was the case on Friday that were introduced in IAF half a century back were long back considered outdated and misfit for training.
Ironically, for frequent groundings, the fighter jet earned the epithets like flying coffin and widow maker.
India has already lost more than half of its MiG combat fleet of 872 aircraft. So far around 490 MiG aircraft accidents claiming lives of around 175 pilots, besides over 3 dozen civilians and others, have been reported so far, sources pointed out.
With a Mig-21 Bison crashing this time, resentment building in IAF against DRDO, HAL for delay in induction of LCA Tejas | idrw.org
