New Delhi: On 7 May this year, as India and Pakistan entered into what was to be an 88-hour conflict, British firm Martin-Baker, which manufactures ejection seats for top fighters around the world, posted on social media that they had saved 7,789 lives in all until then.
Whenever a pilot using Martin-Baker seats ejects safely, they update the numbers. They post when pilots make a successful ejection, but not when a fighter has crashed or the pilots ejected, but unsuccessfully.
They also don’t give details of aircraft lost in conflict because of the secrecy pact involved. But they do update the numbers of lives saved.
On 16 April, the company posted, “Yesterday, a Pakistan Air Force Mirage V ROSE aircraft crashed near Ratta Tibba, Vehari. Both pilots successfully ejected using the Martin-Baker PRM4 seat.” The post said 7,784 lives had been saved until that date.
On 7 May, Martin-Baker posted on X saying, “Yesterday, a USN F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-11 crashed into the Red Sea after a failed arrestment occurred during a night landing on the USS Harry S. Truman. Both air crew successfully ejected using the Martin-Baker US14A (NACES) Seat.”
They updated the total lives saved figure to 7,788.
They posted another crash detail as well on 7 May, saying: “Earlier today a Finnish Defence Force (FDF) F/A-18C Hornet crashed while practising for an air show near Rovaniemi in Lapland. The pilot successfully ejected using the Martin-baker SF-14A (NACES) Seat,” which took the total lives saved to 7,789.
But this updated figure does not account for 7,785 and 7,786. So, details of at least one crash if not two were missing between 16 April and 7 May involving two pilots.
The next update from Martin-Baker came on 31 July, announcing the saving of 7,793 lives in total.
“Yesterday, an A-29A Super Tucano was involved in a midair collision over Porto Ferreira. The pilot successfully ejected using the Martin-Baker BR10LCX Ejection Seat,” the post read.
The only crash the IAF has had after 7 May was a Jaguar on a training sortie, when both pilots unfortunately could not eject and died.
The answer to the puzzle of the missing details surrounding the three lives (7,790, 7791, 7792) saved by Martin Baker ejection seats could be in what IAF chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Siingh said Saturday.
He said that India’s S-400 Triumf air defence system had shot down Pakistan’s 5 fighter aircraft.
The Pakistani fighter jets using Martin-Baker seats in the 88-hour conflict were the JF-17 and F-16s. The J-10s use Chinese-made ejection seats.
A correlation between Martin-Baker’s posts and what the IAF chief said indicates that at least three Pakistani pilots managed to eject despite their aircraft being shot down, indicating confirmation of the IAF chief’s statement.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
What was conceivably offensive about the comment that I had submitted yesterday, for you to not publish it?
It did express innocuous doubt about whether or not the data which Martin-Baker publishes on X (earlier Twitter) is genuinely first-hand and directly-sourced, and hence more accurate and timely than what is available from other public sources.
Can’t take any criticism, eh?
This is not the first time. I particulalrly remember when you did not publish my comment on an article which pleaded on behalf of the telecom industry .
All in all, very disappointing. At its core, ThePrint turns out to be no different from any of the numerous media outlets which have forsaken true journalsim and now function as mouthpieces of political parties and special interest groups.
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11 August, 2025
Good angle, Snehesh. I see that it has now been picked up by WION too.
But, how does Martin-Baker gather that data?
I doubt it receives automated alerts or transmissions directly from its installed ejection-seat systems, or from the aircraft. If air forces permitted that for their aircraft component manufacturers, every fighter jet will also be veritably operating like a popular channel’s boisterous holiday season’s special.
Has Martin-Baker reported anything on India for the same period? (I don’t use X /Twitter.) How many Indian Airforce pilot lives were saved?
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“They post when pilots make a successful ejection, but not when a fighter has crashed…”.
Isn’t there a conflict in the above statement of the article? I presume a pilot doesn’t eject merely for a lark, but only when their aircraft is out of control, and about to crash.
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To me, it seems that Martin-Baker too publishes only that information which they receive from public sources, and directly from air forces (end-users) whenever the latter choose do so.
I must add that I have no true knowledge in this area.
Over to you, Snehesh.
Good angle. I see that it has now been picked up by WION too.
But, how does Martin-Baker gather that data?
I doubt it receives automated alerts or transmissions directly from its installed ejection-seat systems, or from the aircraft. If air forces permitted that for their aircraft component manufacturers, every fighter jet will also be veritably operating like a popular channel’s boisterous holiday season’s special.
Has Martin-Baker reported anything on India for the same period? (I don’t use X /Twitter.) How many Indian Airforce pilot lives were saved?
——–
“They post when pilots make a successful ejection, but not when a fighter has crashed…”.
Isn’t there a conflict in the above statement of the article? I presume a pilot doesn’t eject merely for a lark, but only when their aircraft is out of control, and about to crash.
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To me, it seems that Martin-Baker too publishes only that information which they receive from public sources, and directly from air forces (end-users) whenever the latter choose to do so.
I must add that I have no true knowledge in this area.
Over to you, Snehesh.
Please make a correction.
PAF’s F16 variants don’t use MB. They use ACES II is made by Collins which is owned by Raytheon.
Could those ejections also refer to Rafale ejections, as they use Martin Baker seats as well.
Wow ! I like this detailed analysis