Another MiG goes down, pilot killed

The injured contractors were rushed to Bikaner’s PBM hospital by Nal air base personnel and they are said to be out of danger. An IAF spokesperson said those injured would be ‘‘suitable compensated’’.

Notorious for their poor safety record, a fleet comprising over 300 MiG-21s will be retired in the next four-five years, along with the MiG-23BN fighters. The IAF has, however, thrown its weight behind the MiG-21 Bis-upgrade.

MiG-21s have over the years come to be increasingly afflicted by engine failures and technical malfunctions. The IAF has already retired one MiG-23BN squadron at its frontier Halwara base (31 Squadron) and is all set to numberplate the 220 and 221 Squadrons this year — they are likely to be replaced by either Sukhoi-30MKI fighters or Mirage-2000s. The IAF’s impending acquisition of 124 multi-role fighters is meant to make up for the retired MiGs.

The IAF currently operates about 16 MiG-21 squadrons of all variants, though the number will reduce in a phased manner over the next four-five years as newly purchased and manufactured aircraft would arrive to take their place.