Note: The above link does not work.
Just to add to this story, here is what today’s paper has to say:
Upgraded MiG-21 crashed even before induction](http://147.208.132.202/news/181_62806,0008.htm)
One of the two MiG-21s, which crashed near Ambala on Monday, was an upgraded version christened MiG-21-93 which is yet to be inducted into the Indian Air Force, according to officials here.
The Air Force Chiefs, Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy is to launch the first IAF squadron of the upgraded MiG-21 at Ambala later this week and the accident had raised new questions about the safety of the aircraft under an upgradation programme.
IAF sources said the upgraded version is powered by the Russian R-25 engines, which is also used in the MiG-21 type 75 versions involved in the other crash on Monday near Jodhpur.
Just four months ago, the entire 12 squadron strong IAF MiG-21 type 75 fleet was grounded following crashes of two such types of aircraft on successive days due to sudden engine flame out.
The fighters were only cleared for flying almost four weeks later after extensive engine checks carried out by Indian and Russian experts and that too due to forward deployment of the army on the Indo-Pak border.
In a multi-million crore project, the IAF is currently upgrading 125 MiG-21 BIS aircraft. The first two aircraft were upgraded in Russia and have been test flown faultlessly, while yesterday aircraft involved in the crash has been upgraded at the HAL.
Indian Airforce should seriously investigate why these planes are crashing so frequently, and whether its worth it to constantly lose such expensive machinery and endanger the lives of their pilots until the cause, if its mechanical, is found and fixed. If the pilots need additional training on how to fly these aircrafts, that should be provided too. Suffice is to say, that such horrific crash record, render these planes’ capabilities in the time of actual war to be highly suspect. Not from a functional point of view, but from a crash standpoint.
how many left behind ?