Earlier on Thursday evening, two pilots were killed on when an Indian Air Force MiG-21 Type 69 Trainer aircraft crashed during a training sortie in Rajasthan's Barmer, killing both the pilots including a youngster Flight Lieutenant A Bal and Wing Commander Rana.
"The 51 Squadron based out of Srinagar air base is being number plated on September 30. After this, only three squadrons of the planes would be left in service and would be phased out by the year 2025," news agency ANI quoted IAF as saying.
Now every year, one squadron each of these planes would be number plated. The 51 squadron is the same one which thwarted Pakistan's aerial attack on India on 27 February, 2019, and taking out an F-16 in an aircraft flown by Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhinandan Varthaman.
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In the last 20 months, 6 MiG-21s have been lost in crashes in which five pilots have lost their lives. Once formed the backbone of the IAF fleet, the MiG-21 is a Soviet-era single-engine multirole fighter/ground attack aircraft.
Wing Commander M Rana and Flight Lieutenant Advitiya Bal are the two pilots who lost their lives in MiG-21 fighter aircraft crash in Barmer, Indian Air Force said on 29 July.
Expressing his condolences on the demise of Wing Commander M Rana and Flight Lieutenant Advitiya Bal, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari following the crash.
"Deeply anguished by the loss of two Air Warriors due to an accident of IAF's Mig-21 trainer aircraft near Barmer in Rajasthan," Mr Singh said on Twitter.
"Their service to the nation will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of sadness," he said.
"A twin seater Mig-21 trainer aircraft of the IAF was airborne for a training sortie from Utarlai air base in Rajasthan this evening. Around 9:10 pm, the aircraft met with an accident near Barmer. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries," the Air Force said in a statement.
"IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families," the statement added.
With ANI Inputs.
