MIG21: The Dwindling fighter strength of the IAF

In a tragic accident, a MIG21 trainer jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed, killing both pilots onboard.

This incident has once again put the focus on the MIG21 jets as well as on the IAF’s fighter strength and modernisation.

The MIG21 was inducted into the IAF in the early 1960s.
It remained the frontline fighter jet of the force for a long time.
Currently, there are four MIG21 squadrons in service consisting of the upgraded Bison variant.

The IAF has an authorised strength of 42 fighter squadrons.
The IAF has inducted two indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas squadrons and two squadrons of Rafale fighter jets.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich 21 (MiG-21) was developed by the Soviet Union.
The country acquired the MiG-21 in 1963.
The aircraft has an operational range of 1210 km, a flying speed of Mach 2 (2175 km/h) and a surface ceiling of 17.8 km, making it one of the best aircraft in its 3rd generation league.
A more upgraded version of MiG-21FL, MiG-21bis, was inducted in 1976 and continues to be a part of the IAF.
In 2001, India received its first MiG-21 Bison, a more advanced version of MiG-21bis.
The latest Mig-21 Bison was given to IAF in 2008.
IAF has four squadrons of MiG-21 Bison aircraft, each comprising 16-18 aircraft. This takes the total strength of these jets to 64-72.

The higher number of accidents:
- Since their introduction, there have been over 400 reported incidents involving the aircraft that have claimed the lives of roughly 200 pilots.
- MIG-21 aircraft are referred to as “Flying Coffins” due to the high rate of crashes.
It is an old model:
- Over 20 aircraft have crashed since 2010, and IAF officials believe that this is because the MG-21 aircraft in service are quite old and have reached the end of their technical lives.
Maintenance issues:
- Concerns have been raised about the aircraft’s major maintenance issues and technological flaws.

Pic Courtesy: The Hindu

Content Source: The Hindu