Sukhoi-30 and Mirage 2000, two of India’s premier fighter planes met a fatal mid-air crash on January 28, 2023. Owing to their high-speed clash, the debris of two fighter jets was spotted 90 KMs apart in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena and Rajasthan’s Bharatpur.
After the Sukhoi-Mirage accident was reported, people started speculating about the reasons behind the crash that claimed the life of one pilot. The Indian Air Force responding to the crash wrote on its official Twitter handle, “Two fighter aircraft of IAF were involved in an accident near Gwalior today morning. The aircraft was on a routine operational flying training mission. One of the three pilots involved sustained fatal injuries. An inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident.”
Generally, the cause behind the mid-air collision is associated with either of the two cases i.e. human (pilot) errors or any sort of defect in Air Traffic Control.
In this matter, experts are of the view that human error must have led to the crash. When the aircraft collide mid-air in a special zone there stands a sheer possibility of human errors in it.
Whereas in a separate idea owing to the matter of clash a defence expert Praful Bakshi while apprising media over the matter said, “If two aircraft crashed at a place, then it is possible that leading to the collision of the two the accident could have taken place.”
He further added that if aircraft collided at a point and t is not possible that it falls apart in two entirely different regions. Bakshi believes that the two fighters’ jets must be on their way back to landing in Gwalior, their connection with the ATC must have been lost and failing to see each other they met with the fatal clash.
It is not the first instance of a crash, the IAF has lost plenty of valiant and brave pilots in crashes taking stock of the current accident, here we present to you the brief history of a crash associated with two of India’s best fighter jets.
Mirage-2000 - Commissioned in the Indian Airforce 38 years ago, 13 aircraft crashed to date:
It is one of the best and deadliest fighter jets of the Indian Airforce. The Mirage-2000 is made by the French company Dassault Aviation. It made its first flight in 1978 and joined the French Air Force in 1984. Miraj was first inducted into the Indian Airforce in 1985. The Indian Airforce has named it Vajra. So far 13 Mirage-2000 have crashed in 38 years.
Two fighter jets crash in MP; 2 pilots safe, 3rd sustains 'fatal injuries': IAF
India placed an order for the purchase of 36 single-seaters and 4 twin-seater Mirage 2000s from France in 1982. India took this decision after giving F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan from America. India placed an order for 10 more Mirages in 2004, taking the number of Mirages in the Indian Air Force to 50.
Used to destroy Bunkers in Kargil and killing terrorists in Balakot:
Miraj played an important role in the Kargil war in 1999, destroying many bunkers of the Pakistani army. In 2020, India also used Mirage-2000 in an air strike targeting terrorists in Balakot, Pakistan.
A glance at India’s one of premiers Su-30:
Sukhoi-30 is one of the most powerful fighter jets in India. The aircraft was first procured in November 1996 for induction into the Indian Airforce fleet. This aircraft has the capability to fire BrahMos, the world's fastest supersonic cruise missile.
The Russian-made fighter jet is capable of carrying a cumulative 12 tons of explosives and war materials. Alike Rafael it is also enabled with double engines which can be used during emergencies.
It is a 4.5-generation fighter jet. The speed of this aircraft is 2,120 kilometres per hour. The range of this aircraft is up to 3,000 km. Not only this, it can be refuelled in the air itself, after which it can cover a distance of up to 8,000 km. In the past 27 years, Su-30 has met 11 combined crashes to date, the last coming in Assam’s Milanpur in 2019.