New Delhi
A MiG-29K fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed soon after it took off, according to local media on Saturday. Both the pilots managed to eject safely as the fighter jet went down in Goa, western India.
Crashes involving fighter planes are not uncommon in India, which is in the midst of upgrading its Soviet-era military hardware. Most of the accidents involve the MiGs that India bought decades ago from the Soviet Union, earning it the unflattering “flying coffin” tag.
Last July, the pilot of an MiG-21 jet died after the fighter jet crashed in northern Himachal Pradesh state. India is investing billions of dollars in modernising its air force . — Agencies
