In just five years, around 55 military personnel have lost their lives in more than 50 aircraft and helicopter accidents. as well as older MiG-21 jets Cheetah/Chetak Helicopter Has registered an alarming accident record over the years.
Both the MiG-21 and the Cheetah/Chetak helicopters, which are single-engine machines of 1960s design vintage, have long outlived their operational usefulness. But what can the armed forces do in the absence of induction of new troops?” A senior official said on the condition of anonymity times of India on Monday.
Older highly demanding flying machines that lack modern avionics and built-in safety features, inadequate training and supervision of pilots as well as technicians, poor maintenance and overhaul practices, and lack of quality control over parts, all lead to unacceptably high accident rates. leads to
Successive reports have held that “human errors (pilots/technical crew)” and “technical faults” are responsible for about 90% of accidents, with “bird strikes” and other causes accounting for the rest.
Experts say there is a dire need for a more robust system of checks and balances with corrective and stern action after accountability is properly fixed.
Former naval aviator and test pilot Cmdr KP Sanjeev Kumar (Retd) said, “The Russia-Ukraine war shows no signs of ending, domestic capability is not shrinking and the aging fleet is under increasing pressure.” ” ) Said times of India,
“Hopefully, things do not go further south. Both quality and quantity of future orders should be stepped up before more accidents take away precious lives,” he said.
The armed forces have been seeking 498 new light utility helicopters for over two decades to replace their aging Cheetah and Chetak fleets. But their replacements are still to emerge from the disappointment. The IAF is forced to fly the Soviet-origin MiG-21, which was the first supersonic fighter to be inducted by the IAF in 1963 and upgraded in subsequent years, because of huge delays in new inductions, especially indigenous ones. Tejas Light Combat Aircraft.