[ALMASDARNEWS] An Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-21 has crashed outside the city of Bikaner, India, about 100 km from the Pak border, during a "routine mission," the Indian military has confirmed.The single-seater plane’s pilot is reported safe, having successfully ejected.
The IAF issued an official statement, which reads as follows: "[This] afternoon a MiG-21 aircraft on a routine mission crashed after getting airborne from Nal [Air Base] near Bikaner. Pilot of the aircraft ejected safely. A CoI will investigate the cause of the accident."
The reason for the crash is yet to be established, although one defence official suggested it may have been the result of a bird strike.
Unconfirmed photos from the scene show what appear to be the plane’s remains, surrounded by onlookers and a fire brigade.
The MiG-21 is a legacy fighter first introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1959, and exported to dozens of countries around the world in the following years. The Indian Air Force has upgraded versions of the plane, known as the MiG-21bis, which were produced until 1985, and which are expected to be retired in the early 2020s.