Second Indian MiG-29 Crash in Two Months

The Indian Air Force lost a MiG-29 fighter to a crash today, marking the second such accident this year.

“A MiG-29 aircraft of the IAF crashed near Agra during a routine training sortie today after encountering a system malfunction. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft to ensure no damage to life or property on the ground before ejecting safely,” the IAF confirmed in a release.

On September 2, another MiG-29 of the IAF crashed during a night training mission in an unpopulated area near Uttarlai in the Barmer district of Rajasthan due to technical reasons. The pilot ejected from the aircraft, and there was no damage to life or property. The incident is under investigation. The fighter jet, which was on a training mission from an Air Force base in the Barmer sector, encountered a snag and burst into flames soon after crashing into a field near Uttarlai, which was not populated.

As of 2022, India had around 115 MiG-29s in service, with 75 in the Indian Air Force and 40 in the Indian Navy. In 2020, India ordered 21 MiG-29s at an affordable price, to be manufactured from unassembled airframes built in the late 1980s. Mikoyan will upgrade these aircraft before delivery, making India the last export customer for the original MiG-29 airframe. Russia has submitted a proposal to refurbish the 21 MiG-29s for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

On August 7 this year, the IAF issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to upgrade 24 MiG-29s to integrate HSLD Mk 2 bombs/missiles with a 180 km range. The upgrade will include additional hardware such as bomb racks and necessary software, overseen by No. 11 Base Repair Depot (BRD) of the IAF, with plans to equip the entire MiG-29 fleet in phases. The IAF has also requested the Ministry of Defence to manufacture the HSLD Mk II in India.