Both pilots killed as fighter jet crashes in Rajasthan
The two-seater Jaguar trainer aircraft was on a routine training mission, said the Air Force. 'Both pilots sustained fatal injuries in the accident,' it added.
The Air Force further stated that no damage to civilian property had been reported.
'IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families in this time of grief,' it said.
A court of inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident.
It was unclear if any civilian was killed in the incident.
Station House Officer Rajaldesar Kamlessh told PTI that the jet crashed near Bhanoda village around 1.25 pm.
This is the third SEPECAT Jaguar jet to crash this year.
A pilot was also killed when a Jaguar, which was on a routine sortie, crashed near Gujarat's Jamnagar on April 2.
This had come a month after a Jaguar crashed in Haryana's Ambala following a technical malfunction during a training flight in March. The pilot had ejected safely.
India is the only country that still operates the British-French-built Jaguar aircraft. The jets entered service with the Indian Air Force in 1979.
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Mint
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IAF Jet Crash: 5 reasons India's ageing Jaguars refuse to retire — even after 50 years
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In fact, these ageing fighter jets are expected to continue in service in India until at least 2040. But why? Here are 5 reasons: The first batch of 40 Jaguars, known as Shamsher, was inducted into the IAF in fly-away condition beginning in 1979 and delivered in 1981. Another 100 were license-built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in 2008. Overall, the IAF has inducted about 160 Jaguars of different variants over the years. These include the single-seat strike fighter Jaguar IS, the two-seat trainer Jaguar IB, and the naval version Jaguar IM. According to reports, about 115 are still in service. India has not had much success procuring new aircraft. Amid delays in acquiring the HAL Tejas Mk2, Rafale, and Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft, it has little choice but to extend the life of these outdated planes. 'India is flying Jaguars because we have no other choice. We don't make any aircraft, we only have to buy. The process of buying and selecting is cumbersome. We are also short of squadrons. We are supposed to have 40 + and we are down to about 30. Jaguar like other aircraft has crashed. I would not call it very dangerous,' Wing Commander Praful Bakshi (Retd) told a TV channel after the April crash. So under these circumstances, IAF has not been able to phase out the old war machines. Ever since their induction, Jaguars have undergone multiple upgrades to improve stand-off attack, strike range, and target acquisition capabilities. Military analyst and retired Jaguar pilot squadron leader Vijainder K Thakur wrote in September last year that these upgrades, referred to as DARIN (Display Attack Ranging Inertial Navigation) were done in three phases: DARIN-1, DARIN-2, and DARIN-3. The Inertial Nav-Attack System Integration Organisation (IIO), a multiagency unit established by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), IAF, and HAL, first built the DARIN system in the 1980s. In 2008, for example, HAL, the state-owned military plane maker, decided to upgrade 68 so-called 'deep penetration' Jaguar fighters with modern avionics in a contract valued at more than ₹ 2,400 crore, which will increase the fighter planes' life and efficacy. Some reports suggested, the IAF is expected to begin phasing out its older Jaguar models after 2027-28. The complete phasing out is scheduled by 2035-2040. 'One reason why the Jaguar has remained relevant is that the IAF has adopted the fighter for medium-altitude stand-off strikes. We will look at the Jaguar's medium altitude strike capability later in this narrative,' Thakur wrote in EurAsian Times. According to media reports, Jaguars have been involved in over 50 accidents, including recent ones, over the years. Past probes into mishaps pointed to engine failure, raising questions about the longevity of these warbirds. At times, analysts linked their 'under-powered' Rolls-Royce-Turbomecca Adour Mk811 engines to the mishaps. 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This would also keep Jaguar combat-ready for the foreseeable future. 'Even with engine and avionics upgrades, you still face issues with airframe fatigue. There's only so much of an aircraft you can replace,'saidTim Davis, a former Royal Air Force instructor in an Indian Defence Research Wing report in April this year. In 2024, the Ministry of Defence approached the UK to transfer nine Jaguar aircraft that are no longer in service with the European country, along with a cache of spares. Experts like Thakur, however, suggest that retiring IAF Jaguars should not be phased out for now. They say the Jaguar phaseout plan could affect the IAF's operational capability, considering the relentless depletion of its fighter inventory. 'It could be retained in service longer than currently projected to prevent the unacceptable depletion of IAF fighter aircraft inventory,' wrote Thakur. Even with engine and avionics upgrades, you still face issues with airframe fatigue. 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