A MiG-29 interceptor of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed during a training mission near Punjab’s Jalandhar today. The pilot ejected safely. A rescue helicopter of Indian Air Force took the pilot from the crashed site. The pilot has some minor bruises because of ejection from the fighter plane
The MiG-29 is a Soviet-era fast interceptor that has seen action in the Kargil war in 1999. It has also been used to escort other jets on bombing missions from incoming “bandits” or enemy fighter jets.
In an official statement the IAF said, “The aircraft had developed a technical snag and the pilot ejected safely as he was unable to control the aircraft. The pilot has been rescued by a helicopter. A court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of accident,”
The IAF operates over 60 MiG-29s, all of which have been upgraded with advanced avionics and better weapons to convert them into multirole jets that can perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions equally well.
