#pilots #died #Soviet #fighter #jet #crash #India
Two pilots have been killed in India after a Soviet-era fighter plane crashed during a training mission, the Air Force said, adding to safety concerns after a series of incidents involving the plane.
The MiG-21 crashed in the desert of the western state of Rajasthan near the city of Barmer on Thursday evening, the Ministry of Defense said.
The crash was the sixth MiG-21 aircraft to go down since January last year, killing five pilots.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) said the training aircraft was “unfortunate” and ordered an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
“The IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands by the bereaved,” the Air Force tweeted.
Local media footage showed burning debris spread over a large area.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said he was “deeply distressed” at the loss of the two pilots in the crash.
“Your service to the nation will never be forgotten,” Singh said on Twitter.
MiG-21 jets first entered service with India in the 1960s and for decades served as the backbone of the country’s air force.
However, numerous crashes over the past few decades have led to the planes being dubbed “flying coffins” because of their poor safety record.
India is investing billions of dollars in modernizing its air force, an initiative motivated by its decades-long rivalry with Pakistan and rising tensions with China.
The military has bought dozens of French Rafale fighter jets, with deliveries beginning in 2020.
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