Indian Air Force has lost over 10 aircraft-- and the year not even halfway through

The Indian Air Force (IAF), civil administration authorities and the Indian Army are carrying out a massive rescue operation at Tato in Arunachal Pradesh, after an AN-32 aircraft crashed. The aircraft went on a mission on June 3 with 13 people on board. The IAF found the wreckage of the plane on June 11, and is now searching for the survivors.


This year has been bad for IAF aircraft, and has been replete with crashes.

The Jaguar crash

In January, a Jaguar aircraft developed a snag and crashed near Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh. The IAF pilot who was flying it, had a narrow escape.


Surya Kiran’s mid-air collision aircraft

In February, two Surya Kiran aircraft crashed after a mid-air collision while rehearsing for 'Aero India 2019' air show in Bengaluru. Aero India did not permit the Surya Kiran team to participate in the show after the incident, which led to the death of two pilots.


Mirage 2000 crash

PTI
In a second incident in February, a French-built Mirage 2000 aircraft crashed minutes after taking off from HAL Airport in Bengaluru. An investigation on the incident which killed two pilots, hints at a possible mechanical issue.


Mi-17 helicopter crash in J&K

The same month, an Mi-17 helicopter crashed in an aerial engagement at the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir’s Nowshera sector. The event led Pakistan to capture the Indian pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who ejected from the aircraft and landed in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.


MIG-27 crash in Eta village

Yet again in February, an MiG 27 jet that was flying on a training mission, crashed into Eta village of Pokhran range. The aircraft was flying from Jaisalmer Air Force Station, but the pilot ejected safely.


The Jodhpur crash

In March, an MiG-27 fighter jet, which was on a routine mission from Jodhpur, crashed in a village in Sirohi, Rajasthan following an engine failure. The pilot and the co-pilot ejected safely.


The crash in Bikaner

In early March, an MiG-21 Bison fighter jet crashed in Shobhasar ki Dhani, 12 km from Bikaner city of Rajasthan after it reportedly suffered a bird hit. The pilot of the aircraft ejected safely before the crash.


Crash of Russian-origin aircraft

An IAF An-32 transporter with 13 people on board, went missing while flying from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh on Monday. There was no trace of the plane or its wreckage till June 11 when IAF found wreckage of the plane. A rescue operation is currently underway.