Haryana

• 10 Mar 2025

IAF Aircraft Crash in Haryana

Why in News? 

On 7th March 2025, an Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar fighter jet crashed at Ambala in Haryana during a routine sortie after encountering a system malfunction. 

 Key Points 

• About Jaguar: 
  • The Jaguar is a versatile aircraft used for ground attack, air defense, and reconnaissance missions.  
  • It is a Fifth-generation (5G) fighter aircraft capable of operating in heavily contested combat zones, characterised by the presence of the most advanced air and ground threats, both current and anticipated. 
  • 5G fighter jets have stealth capabilities and can cruise at supersonic speeds without engaging afterburners. 
  • It stands out from fourth-generation (4G) peers due to its multi-spectral low-observable design, self-protection, radar jamming capabilities, and integrated avionics. 
  • The squadrons of MiG-21s, MiG-29s, Jaguars, and Mirage 2000s are scheduled to be phased out by the middle of the next decade. 

 MiG-21 

• Supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft designed by the erstwhile USSR in the 1950s. 
  • Widely used combat aircraft in history, with more than 11,000 units built and over 60 countries operating it. 
• IAF acquired its first MiG-21 in 1963 and has since inducted 874 variants of the aircraft 
• Involved in several wars and conflicts involving India. Involved in many accidents and crashes, earning it the nickname “flying coffin”. 

 MIG 29s 

• It is a twin-engine, multirole fighter jet, developed by Soviet Russia in the 1970s. It has been upgraded since.