IAF chief: MiG crashes due to pilots' inexperience

[JayATL]

The Indian Air Force (IAF) today said most of the recent MiG-21 crashes have been caused due to inexperience of young pilots in handling the aircraft.

"Unfortunately, except for one case, the other cases point towards inexperience of young pilots who were not able to handle the landing and approach (of the aircraft)," IAF Chief NAK Browne said here on Saturday.

He was asked to comment on recent crashes of MiG-21 fighter aircraft this year including the one which crashed in Barmer district of Rajasthan on Friday.

Speaking at the 79th Air Force Day parade at Hindon Air Base, located just outside Ghaziabad, Browne termed the security situation in India's immediate neighbourhood as "extremely fragile and uncertain", adding that it warrants close monitoring. "The inimical intentions of our adversaries are further strengthened by radicalism and infusion of technology," the IAF Chief added.

Browne said the security of Delhi as well as other metros will be a priority. "We will have a safety network that will comprise radars, early warning systems, missiles as well as air-borne fighters," he told the audience. He said by 2014, a comprehensive and complete radar coverage network in the country would be in place. The most challenging are the mountainous areas and the process there may take about a year longer, Browne added. There are also plans to deploy fighter aircraft for quick response to any possible threat.

At the parade today, the Air Force's first all-woman team of six skydivers made its official debut. The team jumped out of an AN-32 transport aircraft and went through a series of mid-air formations before touching down at the tarmac. The newly inducted heavy-lift transport aircraft in the IAF C-130J was another major attraction.

A total of 35 aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, Jaguar, Mirage-2000 and the MiG-21 Bisons along with Mi-17 choppers, took part in the aerial display.

Browne said the planned induction of the C-17 heavylift aircraft along with medium and heavylift choppers will increase IAF's operational flexibility. "Upgrades of Jaguar, Mirage-2000 and MiG-29 fighter aircraft along with An-32 transport aircraft are underway and will help in enhancing their operational relevance," Browne said.

 

[JayATL]

Don't know who this air chief is - but if a US air chief had said this, he would be called out by citizens and politicians alike. You don't, you don't insult your fellow military comrades. Even if you feel it's true YOU keep it internal! And BTW- whose fault is it that they put rookie pilots on the most difficult of aircrafts in your inventory? --- This is unbecoming of an officer and gentleman-- Boooooo....shameful. Imagine those who died how this statement insults their sacrifice...bah!

 

[Yusuf]

Pilot inexperienced, fighter planes are double the age of the rookie pilot. Total loss loss scenario. When the MiG21 was inducted, some of the parents of the pilots were in diapers. Today's age, a young Turk might easily navigate an iPod but find it difficult to set up a gramophone.

 

[ace009]

True - why blame Pilot inexperience? putting inexperienced pilots on an aging Mig-21 is IAF's fault.

 

[agentperry]

the matter is so grave!!! do IAF has any trainers or not. instead of steady induction of trainers they converted mig-21 to 2 seater bison/trainer.
it took them decades to formalize the hawk deal.

is there any vision for developing the armed forces.

a smart person spends the required amount or sometimes even less by investing before or at right time and a foolish gets extorted by waking up late.

china and pakistan both are investing as soon as the need... as soon as they sense forthcoming need and thus gets their deal done smartly on time. they are always with decent stuff all the time. whereas in this land. we are forced to use what we used in 71 war.

what is confusing parliamentarians and also the forces.

 

[Falcon]

I completely agree with you guys. Being an Indian does not mean I would support what Air Chief says. This is complete bullshit. These jets are so old that a modern truck would seem to be more sophisticated. It takes more brain to control these land based vehicles than those old junkies. How easily people blame these brave young pilots who succumb to engine failures or fuel line leakage. Its really disgusting.

 

[ALBY]

The probelm is not with inexperience of pilots but the over experience of migs.they should be at scrap market and museum

 

[DMF]

India must be careful with MIG21， better put some in museum now, in case you crash all of them, I think IAF will consume all the Mig 21, no one can left to be decommissioned

 

[agentperry]

India must be careful with MIG21， better put some in museum now, in case you crash all of them, I think IAF will consume all the Mig 21, no one can left to be decommissioned

well said my friend......... well said!!!

 

[K Factor]

the matter is so grave!!! do IAF has any trainers or not. instead of steady induction of trainers they converted mig-21 to 2 seater bison/trainer.

Get real. Nobody converted the Fishbeds into trainers. We have trainer versions of Fishbeds. Do you expect pilots to fly Kirans and Hawks and then go directly into combat?
You have to train in the aircraft you will be flying and you have to know it well, so that you know what it is capable of when you need it most.
The same applies to any aircraft.
Trainer --> Trainer version of actual fighter --> Fighter. It is the same for any aircraft, not just the fishbed.

china and pakistan both are investing as soon as the need... as soon as they sense forthcoming need and thus gets their deal done smartly on time. they are always with decent stuff all the time. whereas in this land. we are forced to use what we used in 71 war.

Really? Read up before you post - buddy.
J-10, the latest operational aircraft in their operational inventory - Chengdu J-10 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
4 in 3 years, and that too for their most "advanced" fighter.

That said, I would say that there was no justification for the IAF chief for speaking out on pilots capabilities in an open press conference.

 

[agentperry]

Get real. Nobody converted the Fishbeds into trainers. We have trainer versions of Fishbeds. Do you expect pilots to fly Kirans and Hawks and then go directly into combat?
You have to train in the aircraft you will be flying and you have to know it well, so that you know what it is capable of when you need it most.
The same applies to any aircraft.
Trainer --> Trainer version of actual fighter --> Fighter. It is the same for any aircraft, not just the fishbed.


Really? Read up before you post - buddy.
J-10, the latest operational aircraft in their operational inventory - Chengdu J-10 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
4 in 3 years, and that too for their most "advanced" fighter.

That said, I would say that there was no justification for the IAF chief for speaking out on pilots capabilities in an open press conference.

its not only j-10. they have soo many different platforms. copied or not. they have it.
the one crashed in the mid of this year. mig-21 bison twin seater converte trainer with the help of israel. im not ranting.

 

[K Factor]

its not only j-10. they have soo many different platforms. copied or not. they have it.
the one crashed in the mid of this year. mig-21 bison twin seater converte trainer with the help of israel. im not ranting.

Why would Israel need to convert Mig-21 to trainer, there are dedicated trainer aircraft. Links are appreciated, if you have any.
BTW
- we are using MKI from the early 1998. How many have crashed? - 2
- US is using F-22 from the same time frame. How many have crashed? - 2
- China is using J-10 from 2007, how many have crashed? - 4

 

[agentperry]

Why would Israel need to convert Mig-21 to trainer, there are dedicated trainer aircraft. Links are appreciated, if you have any.
BTW
- we are using MKI from the early 1998. How many have crashed? - 2
- US is using F-22 from the same time frame. How many have crashed? - 2
- China is using J-10 from 2007, how many have crashed? - 4

India took israeli help to upgrade/modify mig-21. its an open fact. India is taking help of israel in every possible field- be it arjun, lca or missiles. so whats wrong with that.

the dedicated trainers you are talking about are grounded since long. ramp up your knowledge and search for all type of trainers india is operating and how many are actually operational

 

[SPIEZ]

Why would Israel need to convert Mig-21 to trainer, there are dedicated trainer aircraft. Links are appreciated, if you have any.
BTW
- we are using MKI from the early 1998. How many have crashed? - 2
- US is using F-22 from the same time frame. How many have crashed? - 2
- China is using J-10 from 2007, how many have crashed? - 4

I thought we crashed only 1 SU30MKI ?

 

[K Factor]

India took israeli help to upgrade/modify mig-21. its an open fact. India is taking help of israel in every possible field- be it arjun, lca or missiles. so whats wrong with that.

the dedicated trainers you are talking about are grounded since long. ramp up your knowledge and search for all type of trainers india is operating and how many are actually operational

I am talking abour Israel helping India to modify Mig-21 into trainers.

 

[agentperry]

I am talking abour Israel helping India to modify Mig-21 into trainers.

we pay them, thats why they help us. as simple as that.

 

[K Factor]

we pay them, thats why they help us. as simple as that.

them helping us with avionics and radar is not equal to helping to convert Mig-21 into Trainers.

 

[agentperry]

them helping us with avionics and radar is not equal to helping to convert Mig-21 into Trainers.

its a JV. like all other thing.
indo-israel projects are not tendered to israel rather they are worked upon by both

 

[utubekhiladi]

this might help.....

 

[Armand2REP]

You have to train in the aircraft you will be flying and you have to know it well, so that you know what it is capable of when you need it most.
The same applies to any aircraft.
Trainer --> Trainer version of actual fighter --> Fighter. It is the same for any aircraft, not just the fishbed

.

There is no "trainer version" of Rafale. The training squadron is the F3, fully combat capable. Many Western aircraft don't have specific training versions. That is more a Soviet habit with the UB series of stripped down aircraft with dual sticks. They have 2 trainers for each squadron. If you have AJTs you can cut down hours on your transition aircraft.