A MiG-21 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed near Suratgarh in Rajasthan | MiG-21 crash at Suratgarh airbase close to Pakistan border, the aircraft caught fire as it took flight.

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The reason for the MiG-21 fighter jet crash is said to be technical fault. The Air Force has started an investigation. – File photo

The MiG-21 fighter jet crashed on Tuesday at Suratgarh airbase near the Pakistan border in Rajasthan. Its engine caught fire as it took flight. The pilot came out safely before the accident. After the fire, the MiG airbase fell into the campus itself.

India is the largest operator after Russia and China
India is the third largest operator of the MiG-21 after Russia and China. In 1964 the aircraft was inducted into the Airforce as the first supersonic fighter jet. The initial jets were made in Russia and then India also acquired the rights and technology to assemble the aircraft.

Since then, the MiG-21 has played an important role on several occasions, including the 1971 Indo-Pak War, the 1999 Kargil War. Russia stopped manufacturing the aircraft in 1985, but India has been using its upgraded variants.

Navy’s MiG-29K crashed on 26 November
The Indian Navy’s Trainee aircraft MiG-29K crashed on 26 November. There were two pilots in this aircraft. One of these was rescued and a search operation was conducted in the Arabian Sea for 11 days in search of the other pilot. His body was later recovered. The Indian Navy reported that the corpse belonged to Commander Nishant Singh.

The Navy had said that officers had received information about the MiG-29K crash on 27 November. This was the third crash of the MiG-29K this year. The Navy’s MiG crashed during a routine sortie (practice flight) in Goa in February. The pilot then took himself out of the aircraft safely.

MiG-29 aircraft carriers operate from Vikramaditya. Recently took part in MiG aircraft in joint exercises of India, US, Japan and Australia in Malabar.