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| MIG-21 Fighter Jet |
NEW DELHI: Following the loss of two officers in a crash, the latest in a string of deaths with the single-engine jet's failure, India will ground all of its Soviet-era Russian fighter planes, the MiG-21, by 2025, according to a publication on Saturday.
According to anonymous Indian Air Force sources, the MiG-21s have outlived their usefulness but must be replaced before they are grounded.
The study did not say how much of India's fighter-jet capabilities would be impacted. According to the Wion news agency, the air force has roughly 70 MiG-21s. In recent years, the air force and defence ministry have purchased aircraft from Western manufacturers.
A senior defence ministry source declined to confirm or reject the Times of India article, saying Reuters only that discussions on the future of the MiG-21 were ongoing, as obtaining replacement parts from Russia became increasingly problematic owing to the conflict in Ukraine.
A request seeking a response from the defence ministry was not immediately returned.
Since its introduction in 1963, the MiG-21, called "flying coffins" by the Indian press, has been the country's primary fighter jet, but it has been plagued by crashes in recent years.
A senior defence ministry source declined to confirm or reject the Times of India article, saying Reuters only that discussions on the future of the MiG-21 were ongoing, as obtaining replacement parts from Russia became increasingly problematic owing to the conflict in Ukraine.
A request seeking a response from the defence ministry was not immediately returned.
Since its introduction in 1963, the MiG-21, called "flying coffins" by the Indian press, has been the country's primary fighter jet, but it has been plagued by crashes in recent years.