MiG-27 aircraft crashes in Rajasthan
A MiG-27 aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed in a residential area of Jodhpur, partially damaging a house and injuring civilians. The pilots flying the aircraft were unhurt and were ejected safely. The Ministry of defence in an official statement said the crash took place around 11.30 am, and there was no loss of lives on the ground
What is MiG 27?
The MiG-27 fighter jet is a ground-attack aircraft originally build and designed in the 1970s by the Soviet Union, but is now only used in India, Sri Lanka and Khazakhstan. It can carry up to six tons and fly over long distances, flown by a single pilot.
How it all began: India and MiG 27
The MIG 27, the first swing-wing design plane of Russian origin was inducted into the IAF in the late 1980's. It is now manufactured at the Nasik Division of HAL and is dubbed "Bahadur" (Brave). On 11 January 1986, the first Indian MiG-27 was completed using pre-fabricated parts manufactured in Irkutsk, and in 1988, the Indian-made "Bahadur" aircraft production started.
Flying coffins: Half of India's MiG's crashed
Over the last 40 years, India has lost more than half of its MiG combat fleet of 872 aircraft. Ministry officials disclosed that '482 MiG aircraft accidents took place till April 19, 2012', leading to the deaths of 171 pilots, 39 civilians and eight persons from other services. The Indian Air Force have said they plan to retire the MiG-27 by 2017.
Chronicling the many crashes across the years
In February 2013, a MiG-27 aircraft crashed in Rajasthan's Barmer district, with damages to the local area. In early January 2015, a MIG-27 crashed into an area outside of Barmer district, with parts of the jet hitting a man riding a motorcycle, who miraculously survived. In May 2015, a MIG-27 aircraft crashed in West Bengal's Tantipara area, killing two civilians.
The spate of MiG crashes
"The loss in terms of value of aircraft and service property in respect of 26 accidents assessed so far is estimated at Rs 1127.37 crore." - Union Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, February 2015.
