An MiG-29 fighter jet from the Indian Air Force crashed this week during a training flight, with dramatic footage of the pilots ejecting from the aircraft quickly circulating on social media.
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The incident occurred as the fighter jet was en route from Adampur in the state of Punjab to Agra, but it suffered a technical failure shortly after takeoff.
According to reports, both pilots onboard managed to escape safely by activating the ejection seats. After the accident, the Indian Air Force issued a statement confirming the event and detailing that the MiG-29 fighter crashed due to a system failure during a routine flight.
This incident marks the second MiG-29 crash in the country within just two months. In September, another MiG-29 crashed in the Barmer district of Rajasthan, also during a training session, when the pilot was similarly able to escape unharmed. In the most recent accident, the aircraft involved was a modernized MiG-29UPG model, part of India’s efforts to improve the safety and performance of these jets.
The MiG-29 was first incorporated into the Indian Air Force in 1987 with an initial purchase of approximately 80 units from the former Soviet Union (now Russia). Today, the MiG-29 is part of the aerial inventory of over 20 countries, including Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Syria, Ukraine, Belarus, and Uzbekistan.
Despite modernization efforts, the recurring technical failures raise concerns about the reliability of the MiG-29. The Indian Air Force has announced that an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident.
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Photo and video: X @abhishekbabu237 / Wikimedia. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.