India lost over half of its 872 MiG jets in 40 years

[Veterans India]

2 MAY, 2012, 05.45PM IST, IANS



NEW DELHI: Over the last 40 years, India lost more than half of its
MiG combat fleet of 872 aircraft and 171 pilots, the Rajya Sabha was
informed Wednesday.

The causes of the accidents were both human error and technical
defects, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said in a written reply.

He said that India bought 872 MiG planes of various types between 1966
and 1980. These were procured from the erstwhile Soviet Union and also
built indigenously at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd ( HAL).

Of these, "482 MiG aircraft accidents took place from financial year
1971-72 to financial year 2012-13, till April 19, 2012", Antony said.

The country lost 171 pilots, 39 civilians, eight service personnel and
an aircrew member in these accidents, the minister said.

The MiG series aircraft were inducted into the Indian Air Force
starting from the MiG-21 in the 1960s to the MiG-29 in the 1980s.

"These aircraft were purchased as per rules and procedures of that
period. At present, the procurement of capital equipment is carried
out as per the Defence Procurement Procedure," Antony said.

The training of initial batches of pilots for MiG aircraft was carried
out in the erstwhile Soviet Union, followed by training for the rest
of the pilots in India.

[kan...@gmail.com]

Apropos above topic carried in veteran India of 04 may 2012.
In our country human lives have a varying price fixed arbitrarily by the Political Masters according to expediency or its political sensitivities.
How else could one rationalise lives lost in (a) a bus accident in some remote corner being compensated by a mere few thousand rupees (b) a Rail accident close to a important political event like elections; Rail Minister declaring a couple of lacs and Central Govt. topping it by a few lacs more (c) Air crash victims getting compensation of a few lacs (d) Bihari labourers died in  a factory building collapse in Jullandhar, owned by a well connected person, and wonder what will compensation amount to? (e) Dubri Ferry accident victims getting compensation as PM has Rajya Sabha free entry VISA via Assam.
So, a loss a human life is of not any concern except the political mileage expected out of it
Now the question of IAF Pilots dying in air crash, Air Hq orders an inquiry, a small news item carried in some insignificant nook of the news paper, successive Air Chief proclaiming how safe & airworthy is the MiG fleet . Wonder why some call these as flying coffins?
End of the show for the dead pilot and wait for the next crash.
Why there is no concern for the precious loss of a servicemen? Are the Service Hqs doing the needful?
Why there is no enthusiasm among the young to join the Services?