MiG-21 crash: Despite chequered safety record, why the 'Flying Coffin' still remains in service

A Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Bison of the Indian Air Force crashed near Barmer, Rajasthan on Thursday night killing both pilots aboard. The aircraft was a trainer craft and the accident happened during a training sortie. The IAF has established a Court of Inquiry to determine the cause of the fatal accident.As part of the training mission, the senior pilot on board, Commander M Rana, was flying the trainer along with the junior pilot Flight Lieutenant Adivitya Bal.“At 9:10 pm this evening, an IAF MiG 21 trainer aircraft met with an accident in the western sector during a training sortie. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries,” the Air Force said.IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families.A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident— Indian Air Force July 28, 2022This isn’t the first fatal crash involving a trainer MiG-21 Bison. There have been five crashes in 2021 in which three pilots were killed. Since 1970, over 170 Indian pilots and 40 civilians have been killed in MiG-21 accidents. Over 20 aircraft crashed from 2010 to date and 38 aircraft crashed in the decade after 2003, according to data released by the Defence Ministry.A total of nearly 300 accidents have been reported since 1963. The high rate of accidents has earned the aircraft the name the “Flying Coffin”.Why still use the ‘flying coffin’?After repeated upgrades, including multi-mode radar, better avionics and communication systems and support for helmet-mounted displays, the MiG-21 has been renamed as the Bison. The aircraft was also retrofitted with R-73 Archer short-range and R-77 medium-range anti-aircraft missiles.Despite the number of crashes and accidents in the past, the airplane is still the backbone of the Indian Air Force. India is the biggest operator of the airplane model in the world. The country first purchased the aircraft in 1961, and soon got to test the mettle of the craft in a limited role during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War. The MiG-21 was the first supersonic jet to be inducted into the IAF. Since then over 1,200 MiG-21s were inducted into the IAF.The reason behind the continuing use of the supersonic jet despite it being designed over half a century ago is the fact that the IAF has been struggling to requisition the necessary replacements. While the IAF has been slowly phasing out MiG-21 squadrons using the Su-30 and indigenous LCA, both aircraft are only stop-gap measures before a new set of foreign fighter jets.The Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft tender to procure 126 foreign combat jets was floated in 2007 but was cancelled in 2015 after no success. The government procured 36 twin-engine Dassault Rafale aircraft in order to maintain the operational strength of the IAF.However, with no replacements in sight and LCA Tejas having severe delays in delivery, the IAF has no option but to use MiG-21 Bison as long as possible. Despite this extended lifecycle, the IAF is only sitting at 32 squadrons against the 42 mandated by the government for full operational strength.In June, the IAF announced that instead of wholesale procuring its aircraft from foreign OEMS, it will engage in licence production of foreign jets. Apart from the 96 aircraft being produced in this way, the government will also purchase an additional 114 aircraft to fully strengthen its combat capabilities. Companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, MIG, Dassault and Saab are currently in the race to win the project.Currently, the IAF has four squadrons of MiG-21 Bison aircraft operational, with each squadron consisting of 16-18 aircraft. While Srinagar-based No 51 Squadron will be ‘number plated’ or retired on September 30, the other three squadrons will be phased out every year till 2025. Each of the squadrons will then be changed to work with the indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft Tejas.ALSO READ: Two pilots killed in MiG-21 aircraft accident near Barmer in Rajasthan

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MiG-21 crash: Despite chequered safety record, why the 'Flying Coffin' still remains in service

By CNBCTV18.com Jul 30, 2022 4:56:29 PM IST (Published)

A total of nearly 300 accidents have been reported since 1963. The high rate of accidents has earned the aircraft the name the “Flying Coffin”.

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MiG-21 crash: Despite chequered safety record, why the 'Flying Coffin' still remains in service

By CNBCTV18.com Jul 30, 2022 4:56:29 PM IST (Published)

A total of nearly 300 accidents have been reported since 1963. The high rate of accidents has earned the aircraft the name the “Flying Coffin”.

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