New Delhi: Another tragedy has hit the Indian Air Force, with a Jaguar trainer fighter aircraft crashing on Wednesday afternoon in Rajasthan’s Churu district, killing both pilots on board.
The jet was on a routine training sortie when it crashed in an agricultural field in Bhanoda village at 1:25 pm, according to the IAF. The crash resulted in no civilian fatalities or property loss. Nevertheless, the accident is the third jaguar-related mishap since March this year—an alarming trend that raises severe questions regarding the aircraft’s continued usability and viability in today’s combat missions.
The Indian Air Force’s official response was one of deep sadness over the loss and an offer of condolences to the grieving families. But beneath the serious words is a harsh and urgent truth: the Jaguar fleet, once an intimidating cornerstone of Indian strike power, is fast becoming an albatross. The crash at Churu comes on the heels of two previous incidents at Ambala and Jamnagar, one of which claimed the life of Flight Lieutenant Siddharth Yadav when a critical technical failure occurred. Altogether, the incidents point to a systemic issue instead of sporadic mechanical breakdowns.
Originally inducted into the IAF in 1979, the Jaguar has served the country with honour for more than four decades. The aircraft, jointly designed by France’s Breguet and the British Aircraft Corporation as part of the SEPECAT venture, was specifically designed for low-level, high-speed penetration duties. Most of India’s Jaguars were license-produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and over the years, they have conducted a large number of successful sorties. Yet time has finally caught up with them.
Notwithstanding efforts to prolong their operating lives via modernisation programs such as the Jaguar MAX and DARIN-III upgrade initiatives, the inherent limitations of the platform—most critically its ageing engine—are increasingly apparent. The Jaguar’s existing Adour engines can no longer sustain the aircraft’s demanding usage profile. The IAF originally intended to upgrade these engines with Honeywell’s F125IN turbofans, which would have greatly increased thrust and operational efficiency. This important upgrade was cancelled due to high expense and contractual issues, leaving the fleet to grapple with outdated and underpowered propulsion systems.
This choice has come with lethal costs. Jaguars, built to fly low and level and deliver strike attacks in a single run, now frequently find themselves on the boundary of their operating envelope. With every sortie, the margin of safety reduces, and the danger to pilots increases. Enquiry reports into previous accidents have invariably named engine failure as a repeated cause, yet action to prevent it is half-hearted or stalled.
That is not to indicate the IAF has rested on its laurels. Under the DARIN-III upgrade program, the Jaguar has been outfitted with a package of advanced upgrades—new avionics, integration of AESA radar, upgraded weapon systems, and voice-activated cockpit interfaces—all of which have brought it up to date in terms of combat capability. These upgrades enable the aircraft to conduct precision strikes, fire long-range stand-off weapons, and conduct reconnaissance missions with greater efficacy. They cannot, however, replace the platform’s fundamental structural and mechanical ageing. No level of avionics sophistication can override the risk from an underpowered engine at a flight-critical phase.
The Indian Air Force is at a juncture. It is, on one hand, struggling with a fighter squadron shortage and few imminent fleet replacement options, partly justifying the hesitation to phase out the Jaguars. Conversely, continuing with a platform that is becoming progressively unsafe risks the lives of veteran pilots in an unacceptable manner. Each crash is not only a loss of equipment—it is a morale killer, it is a killer of public confidence, and it undermines the readiness of our air defence units.
India needs to face this crisis with determination and speed. The Defence Ministry needs to re-examine the cost-benefit scale of going on with old assets versus expedited procurement and indigenous manufacture of more advanced, safer fighter platforms. HAL’s Tejas Mk-1A, the future AMCA programme, and partnerships such as MRFA need to be pushed with political and financial willpower.
Not only is the security of our pilots, but the reliability of our defence preparedness at stake. The Jaguar’s history is glorious and distinguished, but past glories must not prove to be a millstone around the neck of the future. The Indian skies need to hear the thunder of jets designed not just for pride, but for defence. It is time to set aside the past and provide space for a future that guarantees safety, accuracy, and air superiority without sacrifice.