RAJASTHAN: A twin-seater IAF Jaguar Fighter Jet Crashes in Rajasthan earlier today near Churu, marking yet another alarming incident involving the aging fleet of Jaguar aircraft.
According to reports by ANI, the fighter jet had taken off from the Suratgarh air base with two pilots onboard when the crash occurred. Defence sources confirmed that IAF helicopters were immediately dispatched to the crash site to conduct rescue operations and secure the area for investigation.
At the time of writing, there is no official confirmation on the condition of the pilots involved in the crash. Authorities have stated that more details will be shared once a preliminary assessment is completed.
This incident is the third Jaguar fighter jet crash reported in recent months — raising fresh concerns about the reliability of the aircraft, which has served the IAF for decades in ground attack and reconnaissance roles.
Earlier this year, in April, a similar tragedy unfolded when another two-seater Jaguar crashed shortly after takeoff from the Jamnagar Airfield during a night training mission. That crash claimed the life of one pilot, Siddharth Yadav, while the second pilot survived with injuries after ejecting.
Just a month before that, in March, yet another Jaguar went down near Ambala in Haryana. Fortunately, in that case, the pilot managed to eject safely and avoided serious injuries.
The repeated mishaps involving Jaguar jets have sparked debates within defence circles about the urgent need to modernise India’s aging fighter fleet and review maintenance protocols for older aircraft.
The Indian Air Force is expected to release an official statement soon once preliminary findings from the latest crash are compiled. In the meantime, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is also progressing with its investigations into other recent aviation incidents, including the Ahmedabad plane crash involving Air India Flight AI-171.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, critical data from the flight’s Crash Protection Module (CPM) was successfully retrieved and analysed in Delhi on June 25, 2025, offering fresh insights for investigators.
As the nation awaits updates on the pilots’ condition and the cause behind the Jaguar’s latest crash, questions continue to mount about the operational readiness of legacy aircraft in India’s defence fleet and the safety of the airmen flying them.
