Despite the present govt's high-talk and rants about nationalism and national security, its intentions to equip the armed forces with adequate and quality hardware is as dismal if not worse than the UPA regime

On Thursday, two pilots sustained fatal injuries after a twin-seater MiG-21 trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Rajasthan's Barmer district.

The incident took place 9:10 pm.

Sounds familiar right?

The Indian Air Force, as per form, released its bland statement about the incident:

"A twin seater MiG-21 trainer aircraft of the IAF was airborne for a training sortie from Utarlai air base in Rajasthan this evening. Around 9:10 pm, the aircraft met with an accident near Barmer. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries. 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," the IAF said in a statement.

Problem is, this is going to keep happening until urgent course-correction is taken.

Here's An Unhappy History of The IAF And MiG-21s:

Since 1970 more than 170 Indian pilots and 40 civilians have been killed in MiG-21 accidents.

At least 14 MiG-21s have crashed between 2010 and 2013.[11] Over half of the 840 aircraft built between 1966 and 1984 were lost to crashes.

Poor maintenance and quality of replacement parts has been considered to be a factor in this phenomenon

When in afterburner, the engine operates very close to its surge line and the ingestion of even a small bird can lead to an engine surge/seizure and flame out.

Why Is This Happening?

Stupidity and laziness.

HAL's Tejas is not being inducted as a replacement of the MiG-21 fighter aircraft, but as part of the modernisation of the Indian Air Force, the Ministry of Defence told the Rajya Sabha.

"Amount spent so far on the manufacture of 24 Light Combat Aircraft Tejas delivered till September 30, 2021, is Rs 6,653 crore. Considering the contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) by IAF, a total of 123 Tejas fighter aircraft are to be manufactured. Further production depends upon the requirement for Indian Defence Services/export to customers," Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said.

Pilot's lives are not that important, nor is readiness for warfighting.