South Korean media: India has lost 2,374 aircraft and 1,305 people in the past 60 years!
On November 27, South Korean media "Global Economy" published an article stating that the Indian自主研发 light fighter jet "Tejas" crashed at the Dubai Air Show, one of the three major aviation exhibitions in the world, and the pilot was killed, once again pushing the structural problems of India's defense and aviation industry to the forefront. Analysis shows that this accident is a continuation of the problem of aircraft losses faced by the Indian Air Force over the past 60 years.
On the last day of the Dubai Air Show held at the Al Maktoum International Airport in the Dubai World Central in the United Arab Emirates, an Indian Air Force Tejas Mk1A fighter jet crashed during a flight demonstration. According to local UAE media reports, the pilot, Captain Namansh Sial, died on the spot in the accident. The Indian Air Force stated in a statement, "It will establish an investigation committee to find out the cause of the accident."
The "Tejas" fighter jet is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a light fighter jet independently developed by India, and the Indian government has always promoted it as a symbol of its "Self-Reliant India" policy.
According to a joint report from the Indian Parliament and Indian media, as of September 2023, India has lost a total of 2,374 aircraft. Among them, 1,126 were fighter jets, 1,248 were non-combat aircraft, 229 were training aircraft, and 196 were helicopters. These accidents resulted in the deaths of 1,305 experienced pilots. According to the 2017-2022 report compiled by the Indian Parliament's Defense Committee, the Indian Air Force recorded 34 aircraft accidents during this period. Of these, 19 accidents were attributed to human error, and 9 were attributed to technical failures. According to military information website Bharat Rakshak, 106 aircraft have crashed in India over the past ten years, resulting in the deaths of 74 pilots. This is the highest rate of aircraft loss in peacetime in the world.
Especially the Soviet-made MiG-21 fighter jet. Of the 872 MiG series aircraft purchased by India, as many as 482 had crashed by April 2012, causing the death of about 200 pilots. Russia retired the MiG-21 in 1985, but due to the lack of replacement aircraft, India did not completely retire it until September 2025.
The "Tejas" fighter jet project was approved in 1980, aiming to replace the aging MiG-21 fighter jet, but its first flight took 21 years. Although the first flight was completed in 2001, the operational deployment came late. The "Tejas" project has been plagued by cost overruns, design defects, schedule delays, and quality issues. Reports from Indian and international media have emphasized that the project has problems such as cost overruns, delayed payments to subcontractors, corruption, and poor management.
Notably, the failure to independently develop the "Kaveri" engine led India to have to rely on General Electric's F404 engine, which severely damaged India's "self-reliance" slogan. Indian defense analysts believe that the "Tejas" fighter jet is more of a political project than a mature fighter jet.
In 2021, India ordered 73 single-seat and 10 dual-seat "Tejas" Mk1A fighter jets, and signed a contract for another 97 aircraft in September. However, due to delays in US engine supply and other factors, the Indian Air Force's goal of deploying 220 aircraft was postponed.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849944292736234/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.