Flying coffins?

Aircraft accidents in India, by their very nature, put everyone who knows something on the defensive since people who may not know anything ...

Aircraft accidents in India, by their very nature, put everyone who knows something on the defensive since people who may not know anything about aeroplanes become instant 8212; and aggressive 8212; experts. The issue of MiG-21 falls squarely in that category. Little do those who happily use the term 8220;flying coffin8221; from the comfort and safety of air-conditioned offices realise that they are talking about the aircraft which has been the backbone of the Indian Air Force and defence for more than three decades, including at the heights of Kargil, four years ago; and has a useful life to serve still. People happily seek replacing the 300-odd aircraft in service. This would cost the country upwards of Rs 500,000 crore at an average per unit cost of 40 million 8212; that is, nearly eight-times the annual defence budget, while demanding, as Amartya Sen has, a cut in current levels of defence spending!

The air force and the pilots undoubtedly would be happy flying the latest and the best fighter aircraft provided the country could afford them. What we also need to remember is that the air force as an institution is the one group that is most concerned about aircraft accidents since it is a part of that close-knit family that has to bear the brunt of an accident directly. And ours is one of the most professional air forces in the world. For respected, knowledgeable political leaders to claim, therefore, that the IAF considers life cheap is nothing short of gross irresponsibility. This is not to say that accidents should not be reduced to the barest minimum. Unfortunately, the debate in the country has been trivialised or buried under a welter of emotion.

Indian air force pursues one of the most scientific approaches to prevention of flying accidents. It has the choice of continuing with realistic training which naturally carries greater risks, or make flying safer by not undertaking the more demanding flying exercises of the type in which an experienced squadron commander and another pilot got killed at night in Srinagar. We also need to remember that the air force operates at a technological level much higher, even in the 8220;old8221; MiG-21s, than that available in India. We need to note that behind every accident there is inevitably a human failure, even if that goes back all the way to the designers. What the air force needs is the public confidence and support to cope with the challenges that it has to face in balancing operational training with safety. Merely criticising the air force without offering practical solutions is hardly the best way to express that confidence.