Latest news with #MiG-21
India Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
How Dhaka crash of F-7 jet spotlights risks from obsolete Chinese militaryware
Through the 100-hours-long stand-off between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, several military aviation experts praised the performance of Chinese-built fighter jets like J10C and JF-17 used by the Pakistani Air Force (PAF). They were claimed to have scored well against fighter jets pitched by the Indian Air Force, including France's Rafale and Russian Su-30. It even led to a massive jump in the stocks of Chinese jet maker Avic Chengdu Aircraft Co Ltd, up by over 36 per cent in just two days of Operation the recent crash of an F-7BGI fighter jet, flown by the Bangladesh Air Force, has spotlighted how, despite incremental updates, China continues to export outdated, unreliable Soviet-era aircraft to developing countries, compromising safety and watchers claim this tragedy underscores the grave risks of relying on cheap but antiquated Chinese weaponry systems plagued by quality control failures, opacity and corruption, costing not only military lives but also innocent civilians far from any battlefield. Internal reports and anti-corruption probes in China have revealed rampant graft in defence procurement, including 'pay-for-promotion' schemes and compromised maintenance procedures, raising fears that exported platforms, like the F-7, are riddled with invisible risks. Despite global sales, Beijing rarely discloses incidents involving its military equipment, deepening mistrust among client July 21, a Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI fighter jet crashed into Dhaka's Milestone School and College, resulting in the death of 27 people—most of them children—and injuring over 170 others. The tragedy, reportedly caused by catastrophic mechanical failure moments after take-off from Kurmitola airbase, has thrown the nation into mourning and sparked public outrage. Despite the pilot's attempts to steer the failing jet away from densely populated areas, the aircraft slammed into the school, igniting a fire and causing widespread devastation. Hospitals treated dozens of victims for severe burns and trauma. Observers maintain that the F-7 BGI, a Chinese-made fighter jet, is derived from the 1960s-era Soviet MiG-21 and was exported to Bangladesh in the last decade as an affordable solution for air force modernisation. Developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, the F-7 BGI serves as a low-cost, multi-role fighter optimised for the Bangladesh Air Force. It features a double delta wing, modern avionics including multi-function displays and HUD, and carries short-range air-to-air missiles and guided acquired 16 units between 2011 and 2013 for fleet modernisation. The plane's top speed is Mach 2.2, with a payload capacity of up to 3,000 lbs. The F-7 BGI jet is the last and most advanced variant of China's Chengdu J-7/F-7 aircraft series, itself a licenced derivative of the Soviet-era MiG-21 design from the China has incrementally enhanced avionics and weapons systems, the platform remains fundamentally obsolete by modern military aviation standards. Purchased by Bangladesh in 2013 alongside 15 others, this fleet's operational use in routine training flights reveals the hazards of relying on outdated equipment in training environments close to civilian incident is not an isolated one. In June 2025, a Myanmar Air Force J-7 crashed in Pale township under mysterious circumstances, with speculation surrounding technical faults or possible enemy action. In 2022, a J-7 crashed into a residential block in Xiangyang, Hubei province, China, although the pilot successfully ejected before impact. Another incident occurred on June 10 when a Chinese air force Chengdu J-7 crashed into houses during a training mission in central China, killing one person on the ground and injuring two safety concerns surrounding F-7 fighter jets are not limited to China. A PAF F-7PG plane crashed during a routine training flight in 2020, resulting in the death of the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Muhammad Asim Nawaz. The Bangladesh Air Force has also experienced its share of accidents, including an F-7BG crash in 2018 that killed pilot Arif Ahmed Dipu, and an F-7MB that went missing over the Bay of Bengal in 2015, with the pilot never countries around the world operate Chinese fighter jets, showcasing China's growing influence in the global military aviation market. Pakistan is one of the largest operators, with a fleet of J-10C Vigorous Dragon and JF-17 Thunder multirole combat aircraft. The JF-17 is a China-Pakistan project, with Pakistan operating over 150 of these aircraft. The country has also received 20 J-10Cs, further bolstering its air force is another significant operator of Chinese fighter jets, with around 36 Chengdu J-7s, eight ageing Shenyang J-6s, and some Hongdu JL-8 jet trainers. Zambia has also acquired Chinese-made aircraft, including six Hongdu JL-10s and 10 Shenyang J-6s, which are part of its efforts to modernise its military with affordable and accessible is another country that relies heavily on Chinese fighter jets, operating Nanchang Q-5, Shenyang J-6, and Chengdu J-7 aircraft. North Korea also boasts a significant fleet of Chinese and Soviet-era fighter jets, including Shenyang J-6, Chengdu J-7, and Shenyang F-5 aircraft. Thailand has recently participated in joint exercises with China's air force, highlighting Beijing's expanding military activities in the region. Myanmar has also operated Chinese-made J-7 fighter jets, with one crashing under mysterious circumstances in June aviation experts pointed out that this incident underscores the dangerous dilemma faced by developing countries that turn to budget Chinese arms: the choice between affordability and modern safety is stark, and often the latter is sacrificed, with disastrous consequences. China's military industrial sector is also frequently criticised for its secrecy regarding technical problems and accident records, making it hard for buyers to properly assess the risks associated with their Bangladesh, after the jet tragedy, mass grief has quickly become anger, leading to demands for accountability from defence suppliers and calls to restrict military flights over populated areas. The government has vowed to launch a full investigation and review its procurement to India Today Magazine- Ends
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Retirement of MiG fighter jets, concerns grow over delayed Tejas induction, shrinking combat strength
NEW DELHI: While preparations are underway to bid adieu to the last squadron of MiG aircraft on 19 September at Chandigarh this year, anxieties persist regarding the falling number of combat squadrons and, more significantly, the slow pace of production of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) intended to replace these longest-serving fighter jets. The jets of the Number 23 Squadron, MiG-21, will be flying for the last time. Inducted into the IAF in 1963, the MiG-21 was initially acquired for the role of a high-altitude interceptor. It was later retasked for ground attack. The USSR had designed it to counter aircraft such as the American U-2 spy plane. The first induction of the Russian-origin single-engine MiG-21 fighters took place in 1963, with different versions joining the IAF subsequently. As of now, the IAF continues to operate one squadron of the MiG-21 Bison at Suratgarh. A squadron in the IAF comprises 16–18 aircraft. However, an element of anxiety persists within the combat fraternity of the Air Force: following the retirement of the 23 Squadron, the IAF's combat squadron strength will fall to its lowest ever—29 squadrons—against the sanctioned strength of 42. 'It is a logical move as there is a shift in aerial combat—from close combat to acquisition and attack with missiles, which initially ranged a few kilometres but now exceed 100 kms,' said a fighter pilot, adding, 'The war now includes electronic warfare and has progressed to an informatised format.' The move was long due and aligns with existing plans, as the aircraft has long lived its age. 'The Pakistan Air Force, which inducted the F-104 long back, no longer operates that aircraft,' said a source. The concern, however, is not the retirement of the MiGs itself; it is the absence of a clear and timely replacement. 'The delays in induction of indigenously manufactured Light Combat Aircraft Tejas,' said the source. Overall, the Indian Air Force operated 24 fighter squadrons and four training units of MiG-21s. The IAF flew over 850 MiG-21s over six decades—a scale unmatched by most air forces. The aircraft, often nicknamed the 'Flying Coffin', saw approximately 300 losses in accidents. Interestingly, the birth of Tejas is closely linked with the MiG's phase-out. It is due to delays in the LCA project that the IAF took time in retiring the MiG-21s and replacing them with the indigenously developed Tejas, the source explained. The LCA was conceived in the late 1980s to replace the MiG-21s. After decades of delays due to production issues, the IAF now possesses 40 of the initial lot of Tejas aircraft. Last year, the IAF signed a ₹48,000-crore deal for 83 Tejas Mk1A fighters. As The New Indian Express reported earlier, the IAF is keen to induct close to 100 LCA Tejas Mk-1A fighters. Once this order is fulfilled over the stipulated 15 years, the IAF will have 40 LCA, over 180 LCA Mk-1A, and at least 120 LCA Mk-2 aircraft. The first Tejas aircraft flew in 2001—17 years after the programme was initiated. The actual induction started 15 years later, in 2016. The first indigenous LCA was inducted in July 2016. The first IAF squadron to receive the Tejas was No. 45 Squadron, the 'Flying Daggers', which was earlier a MiG-21 Bis squadron. Tejas Mk1A is the newer and improved version of India's single-engine, 4.5-generation delta wing multirole combat aircraft, designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency. The delays in Tejas deliveries have caused anxiety, culminating in a 'no confidence' remark from the IAF Chief in February. The delay in the delivery of Tejas fighter aircraft by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) led to the comment by Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh. While inspecting an aircraft at Aero India 2025, Singh was heard telling HAL officials, 'I can only tell you what our requirements and our worries are... At the moment, I am just not confident of HAL, which is a very wrong thing to happen.' The video was captured and posted by the defence news channel NationalDefence. However, HAL officials have expressed confidence in delivering 12 Tejas fighters in this financial year. The Air Chief highlighted that the force has yet to receive all 40 Tejas Mk1 jets ordered in 2010. The Indian Air Force currently operates only 36 Tejas Mk1 jets, with four deliveries still pending. Since the 1960s, MiGs have touched the lives of every IAF pilot, directly or indirectly. As September approaches, the feeling of melancholy among them is only natural.
NDTV
3 days ago
- General
- NDTV
MiG-21's Final Flight: Why Training, Not The Jet, Failed Air Force Pilots
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is preparing to retire its fleet of Russian-origin MiG-21 fighter jets in September. The aircraft, which played a key role in India's military campaigns, including the 1971 war against Pakistan, has been both celebrated as a formidable war machine and stigmatised as the "flying coffin" due to its high accident rate. With just two months until the final flight on September 19, historian and Indian Air Force expert Anchit Gupta joined NDTV to provide a detailed perspective on the MiG-21's legacy, dissecting its triumphs, challenges, and the reasons behind its controversial nickname. Introduced to the IAF in 1963, the MiG-21 was initially acquired for a specific role: as a high-altitude interceptor designed to counter aircraft like the American U-2 spy plane. Mr Gupta, whose father flew the MiG-21 during his service, recalled the aircraft's distinct roar as a morning alarm at airbases. "The MiG-21 is extremely close to my heart. And I saw my father fly it. We used to live at the bases. That was our alarm in the morning to wake up. I remember 1986 Operation Brasstacks. My father was in Bhuj, going into the trenches and counting the aircraft coming back to the base. So there is an emotion to MiG-21 for all of us," Mr Gupta told NDTV. MiG-21F-13, designated Type 74 from 1963 The IAF operated around 800 to 1,000 MiG-21s over six decades, a scale unmatched by most air forces. Of these, approximately 300 were lost in accidents. "That is a very sobering statistic. But there's no time lapse to that statistic, and therefore, people struggle to make sense of it. I think the answer very much lies in what we did with the aircraft. The aircraft was acquired for a very, very limited role, to be honest. It was a high-altitude interceptor. The original design of the MIG was to intercept the U-2," Mr Gupta said. The aircraft's role evolved far beyond its original design, encompassing ground attack, fighter reconnaissance, air defence, and, critically, jet training -- a role, Mr Gupta said, it was never intended to fulfil. "Flying Coffin" Label: A Misnomer? The MiG-21's reputation as a "flying coffin" stems from its high crash rate. Mr Gupta challenged this label, arguing that the aircraft's accident record is less about inherent flaws and more about systemic issues in pilot training and aircraft acquisition. "It's very much linked to our procurement. Our combat squadron strength went from eight squadrons in 1947 to nearly 40 squadrons in 1965. Now you have sanctioned it, how do you acquire? And so we were huffing and puffing to acquire more aircraft, and MiG-21 came out of nowhere with the USSR saying, 'Listen, I'll do technology transfer, you manufacture it locally.' It was something that really fell into our laps," Mr Gupta told NDTV. The MiG-21 When the MiG-21 entered service, only the IAF's most experienced pilots were assigned to it due to its demanding flight characteristics. The aircraft's small size, limited cockpit visibility, and high landing speed of over 300 km/h made it unforgiving, particularly for novices. The MiG-21U trainer variant was ill-suited for training. The IAF relied on subsonic trainers like the Kiran and Iskra, which were inadequate for preparing pilots for the MiG-21's supersonic performance. The gap between basic trainers and the MiG-21 widened as the fleet expanded from eight squadrons in 1963 to nearly half the IAF's strength by the 1980s. "The biggest difference is speed. The speed at which you are performing the manoeuvres, the actions that you are doing, dramatically changes. That is the biggest difference, whether it is mid-air manoeuvres, whether it is landing or whether it is taking off,' Mr Gupta said. The "Human Error" Factor The IAF's attribution of many MiG-21 crashes to "human error" has often been misunderstood, he added. Mr Gupta explained that human error, in aviation terms, does not necessarily blame the pilot. "Air Force doesn't mean 'human error' in the way people interpret it," Mr Gupta said. "In the simplest form it means that when you've done an accident investigation, you've realised that the accident happened because the pilot in control made a mistake. Now that mistake has a cause behind it. That cause could be training. You have not trained the pilot appropriately. That cause could be inexperience. "That cause could be psychological, that cause could be disorientation, tons of causes behind it." For young pilots transitioning from subsonic trainers to the MiG-21, the lack of adequate preparation was a significant contributor. The stigma of "human error" often compounds the pain for families, who perceive it as blaming the pilot rather than acknowledging systemic issues. "I haven't met a single MiG-21 pilot who said he didn't love the jet," Mr Gupta said. "It's a big regret. They love the aircraft, but they love their colleagues more. And every life lost is a story that remains etched on the psyche forever. I think the human element is actually made worse off by how we categorise the loss. To the family or to a civilian, it sounds like we're blaming the pilot, and then the emotion comes out. The guy had barely started flying. This is an unforgiving aircraft, the aircraft has problems, and now you have the audacity to blame the pilot and say 'human error,'" he added. The MiG-21's Combat Record Despite its challenges, the MiG-21's combat record is formidable. During the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the MiG-21FL (Type 77) earned the moniker "runway buster" for its ground attack role, with 240 units manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The aircraft was instrumental in India's victory. In 1999, during the Kargil conflict, MiG-21s performed admirably, though the war also saw the loss of Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja in a crash. Post-Kargil, Squadron Leader Prashant Kumar Bundela shot down a Pakistani Atlantique maritime patrol aircraft. In 2019, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, flying a MiG-21 Bison, engaged Pakistani aircraft during the Balakot operation, downing an F-16 despite facing advanced adversaries like AMRAAM-armed F-16s and JF-17s. The Bison variant, introduced in the early 2000s, remains contemporary, equipped with an Israeli jammer, Russian R-77 and R-73 missiles, a partial glass cockpit, and a helmet-mounted sight. Its short scramble time makes it ideal for forward bases like Srinagar, where it outperformed alternatives like the MiG-29. "There's a very interesting point around the 2019 incident. You know, there's a lens people wear which says, 'Why was the MiG-21 there? Why didn't we have the MiG-29? Why didn't we have the Su-30?' People don't know that there was no other aircraft capable of being at Srinagar at that time other than the MiG-21. It has the shortest scramble time to date," Mr Gupta said. The MiG-29 "We have replaced it with a MiG-29 in Srinagar. I hate to say this, but it is not ideal for Srinagar, even today. A MiG-21 today is more ideal than the units we have there because you don't have a gyro, you have a single engine, light it, off you go, and therefore even today in the last 8 to 10 years or longer, MIG-21 has been our Operational Readiness Platform (ORP) guardian. It is the jet that scrambles. You put small detachments across all our forward bases. Imagine with the MIG-21 going away, who's supposed to fill that shoe? Who is supposed to fill that shoe? It's supposed to be the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). It is supposed to be the LCA. I hope it does," he added.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
History Headline: 6 decades ago, how MiGs won out, joined IAF
Sixty-two years after it joined the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Air Force Station Chandigarh, the MiG-21 will fly into history from the same station in a poignant farewell ceremony. It was in March 1963 that the first IAF Squadron equipped with MiG-21s was raised in Chandigarh. The No. 28 Squadron came up with Wing Commander (later Air Chief Marshal and Chief of Air Staff) Dilbagh Singh taking over its command on March 2, 1963. The MiG-21s inducted into the No. 28 Squadron back then were the MiG-21 F-13 type, the older version of the Soviet aircraft. Seven officers had been selected by the IAF headquarters to be sent to Russia for training on the MiG-21s — Wing Commander Dilbagh Singh, Squadron Leaders MSD Wollen and S K Mehra, and Flight Lieutenants A K Mukherjee, H S Gill, A K Sen, Denzil Keelor and B D Jayal. Keelor could not complete the training due to medical reasons while Wollen later succeeded Dilbagh Singh as the Commanding Officer of the squadron and commanded it during the 1965 Indo-Pak war. Incidentally, Wollen and Mukherjee were involved in the first MiG-21 crash near Chandigarh in December 1963 when two of the aircraft collided mid-air while practising for the 1964 Republic Day parade. The two survived the crash. Over the years, the MiG-21 and its variants would be in the news for several crashes, eventually earning it the pejorative sobriquet 'The Flying Coffin'. The first six MiG-21s arrived in Chandigarh in April 1963 after they were flown from No. 2 Equipment Depot Bombay to Chandigarh via Agra. They were earlier received in Bombay in a disassembled condition and had been put together by a team of Soviet engineers and were test flown by their pilots. The No. 28 Squadron rightly earned the name of 'The First Supersonics' with the induction of the MiG-21s and retain that name to date. The unit now flies the MiG-29 aircraft and is stationed in Adampur in Punjab. The induction of the supersonic MiG-21s into the IAF was preceded by some hectic diplomatic manoeuvring by the USA. In 1963, given India's war with China the previous year and continued tensions with Pakistan, a supersonic aircraft in the IAF arsenal was a pressing need. The USA had already supplied one of its newest aircraft, the F-104 Starfighter, to Pakistan and there was considerable anxiety in the minds of the political and military leadership in India. The US F-104 had also been considered by the IAF for induction, but the US was not very keen to supply them in large numbers in order to keep a balance between India and Pakistan. Incidentally, given its high accident rate, the F-104 Starfighter too ended up earning an unflattering reputation as 'The Widowmaker'. Back in the late 1950s and early 1960s, there had been efforts on the part of several US officials posted at the embassy in India as well as the State department in Washington to urge their government to sell F-104s to India in substantial numbers. Their aim was to prevent India from entering into a deal with the Soviet Union as they feared that this would help the Soviets make inroads into the Indian military. They were proven right in the years to come. Declassified records of the US State Department reveal correspondence with the US Embassy in Delhi where the latter pointed out that in the 'absence of a favorable United States policy, India will go to Soviets for military equipment'. The US Ambassador to India at the time, John Kenneth Galbraith, predicted that if India decides to buy MiG-21 and/or other types of major military equipment from the Soviet, it will lead to a large number of Soviet technicians being introduced into the Indian defence establishment. 'Soviet training and technical advisors who would accompany purchase of Soviet equipment will have inevitable influence on younger post-independence Indian military officers now rising to position of prominence,' wrote Galbraith in a telegram to the State Department. A September 1962 paper by the Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs of the US State Department, titled 'Status of Indian Negotiations for MiGs' quotes Galbraith as reporting that 'Nehru has become increasingly cool to the expenditures necessary for a MiG deal and his disposition is to postpone it or scale it down. When asked about the MiG deal by reporters in London on September 9, Nehru said, however, that 'negotiations have gone a good bit further'.' The Soviets, too, had their misgivings. Archival documents of the US State Department talk of indications that the Soviets had their doubts, for both technical and political reasons, about providing India with a manufacturing capability for the MiG-21. 'The Soviets apparently have had some question about Indian ability to handle so complicated a program as manufacturing supersonic fighters. This seems to us to be reasonable caution on the part of the Soviets. Additionally, we have received reports that the Soviet Union has been meeting strong Communist Chinese objections, particularly to the proposal for manufacturing MiG's in India,' says the State Department paper. In order to encourage India to turn down the Soviet offer of MiG-21, US President Kennedy even approved a simultaneous US offer to sell India nine C-130 transport aircraft in Rupees currency. All these efforts came to a naught and India not only went on to induct MiG-21s but also manufactured them on large scale at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited facility in Ozar near Nashik (Maharashtra) and in Koraput (Odisha), where the engines were manufactured. The writer is Assistant Editor, The Indian Express
India Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Explained: How Vice President of India is elected
In this episode of India Today Explains, Akshita Nandagopal breaks down the week's biggest stories. The programme covers Jagdeep Dhankhar's abrupt resignation as Vice President on July 21st for health reasons, creating a rare mid-term vacancy. It details the process for electing a new Vice President. The show also explores the impeachment proceedings against Justice Yashwant Varma, explaining the steps involved as per the Judges Inquiry Act. Further, it analyses the landmark India-UK free trade agreement, the retirement of the MiG-21 fighter jet after 60 years, and the controversy surrounding the Epstein files.
