Picture credits: PTI
Gujarat, INDIA: In a tragic accident, an Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar two-seater fighter aircraft crashed during a night training mission near Jamnagar, Gujarat, on Wednesday. The crash resulted in the death of one pilot, while another sustained severe injuries but ejected safely.
Crash Details
The aircraft, which took off from the Jamnagar Air Force base, was on a routine night sortie when it encountered a technical malfunction around 9:30–10:00 pm. The jet crashed in an open field near Suvarda village, approximately 12–18 km from Jamnagar city, just off the Kalavad highway. Upon impact, the aircraft broke into pieces and caught fire.
Eyewitnesses and videos from the crash site showed the wreckage engulfed in flames, but no civilian casualties were reported. Emergency response teams, including the police, medical personnel, and civic authorities, quickly reached the scene.
Pilot Casualties and IAF Response
The IAF confirmed that both pilots attempted to eject after the malfunction to prevent damage to the airfield and local population. While one pilot ejected safely and was taken to Jamnagar’s GG Hospital for treatment, the second pilot sustained critical injuries and later succumbed.
In an official statement on X, the IAF expressed its condolences:
An IAF Jaguar two seater aircraft airborne from Jamnagar Airfield crashed during a night mission. The pilots faced a technical malfunction and initiated ejection, avoiding harm to airfield and local population. Unfortunately, one pilot succumbed to his injuries, while the other…
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 3, 2025
An official investigation has been initiated to ascertain the cause of the crash.
Concerns Over Jaguar Fleet Safety
This incident adds to a growing list of crashes involving the IAF’s ageing Jaguar fleet. On March 7, a Jaguar fighter jet crashed near Ambala, Haryana, due to a technical failure. The aircraft had departed from the Ambala Air Force base for a routine evening training sortie when it suffered a system malfunction mid-flight.
The pilot managed to eject safely, and an investigation was launched to determine the cause of the failure. The repeated crashes have raised questions about the reliability of the Jaguars
The Jaguar, a British-French supersonic attack aircraft, has been a mainstay of the IAF since 1979, primarily used for ground-attack roles. The Air Force currently operates around 121 Jaguar aircraft, but plans are in place to gradually phase them out by 2031, replacing them with the indigenous Tejas Mk1A developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
As investigations continue, the latest crashes raise renewed concerns over the operational safety of the ageing fleet, highlighting the urgent need for upgrades and replacements to ensure pilot safety and mission efficiency.
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