NEW DELHI: The crash of a Soviet-era fighter jet in India that was on a training mission has claimed the lives of two pilots, raising new security concerns following a string of incidents involving the aircraft.
According to the defence ministry, the MiG-21 crashed on Thursday night in the western Rajasthani state’s desert close to the city of Barmer.
Five pilots were killed in the crash, which was the sixth MiG-21 crash since January of last year.
The training aircraft “met with an accident,” according to the Indian Air Force (IAF), and an investigation has been launched to ascertain what caused the crash.
The air force tweeted, “IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families.”
A large area was covered in flaming wreckage, according to local media footage.
Rajnath Singh, the defence minister, expressed his “deep anguish” over the deaths of the two pilots in the crash.
Singh wrote on Twitter, “Their service to the nation will never be forgotten.”
The MiG-21 jets were introduced to Indian service in the 1960s and were the mainstay of the nation’s air force for many years.
However, due to a number of accidents in recent years, the aircraft have earned the nickname “flying coffins” due to their subpar safety record.
Due to its long-standing rivalry with Pakistan and rising tensions with China, India is spending billions of dollars modernising its air force.
Numerous French Rafale fighter jets have been purchased by its military, and deliveries will begin in 2020.
