IAF-LD CRASH 2LAST

In January, the IAF lost Surya Kiran aerobatic team's
Kiran MK-II training aircraft at Bidar in southern state of
Karnataka when Wing Commander R S Dhaliwal piloting the
aircraft was killed.

This was followed by an AN-32 transport aircraft
crashing at Jorhat in northeastern state of Assam on June nine
when all 12 military personnel on board were killed.
An IAF HPT-32 trainer airctaft crashed on July 31 at
Medak in southern state of Andhra Pradesh killing two of its
pilots.
The string of accidents have become a cause of concern
for the IAF which finds its fighter fleet depleting at a rapid
pace. The IAF at present has 33.5 squadrons (around 670
fighter aircraft) against sanctioned strength of 39.5
squadrons (about 790 fighter aircraft).
The fleet had gone down to 29 squadrons in 2006
following a series of ageing MiG-21 crashes since the late
1990s but a few more squadrons in the last three years
following the induction of new Sukhoi and Hawk advanced jet
trainers. PTI NCB
ANU


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