New Delhi: The Standing Committee on Defence, in its latest report, highlights the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashes by focusing on the 13th Defence Five-Year Plan of 2017-2022.
During this period, the report logs 34 crashes involving MiG-21s, MiG-29s, Sukhois, and helicopters while emphasising that despite an impression of frequent crashes, the accident rate has decreased from 0.93 to 0.27 per 10,000 flying hours, demonstrating safety improvements.
The MiG-21, which constituted a substantial portion of the IAF fleet, was involved in the highest number of crashes, according to the report by the Standing Committee on Defence, which is crucial in reviewing the defence budget, assessing performance, and offering bipartisan scrutiny of the armed forces.
Human error, particularly by aircrew, was the leading cause of these accidents, accounting for 23 out of 34 crashes, followed by technical defects and foreign object damage.
The report also highlights the IAF pilot-to-cockpit ratio — 1.25 for fighter aircraft. It is significantly lower than the US Air Force’s 3:1 ratio and Pakistan’s 2.5 ratio. The IAF acknowledges the shortfall and is working to increase pilot recruitment and training.
In terms of budget utilisation, while the IAF and Navy tend to spend most of their allocated funds, the Army often underutilises its budget despite larger demands. The report suggests procedural inefficiencies in the Army’s spending, which need addressing to ensure the effective use of funds for modernisation, especially given the lessons from recent conflicts, such as the tension in Ladakh.
In Episode 1577 of #CutTheClutter, ThePrint Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta unpacks key takeaways from the report, focusing on the shortage of fighters, pilots, Army spending & defence budget.
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