New father, eldest son: All about the two IAF pilots killed in Jaguar jet crash in Churu

Two IAF pilots were killed after a Jaguar fighter crashed during a training flight (Image: X/@swapy6)

In a training flight, two Indian Air Force pilots were killed in the Jaguar fighter bomber crash in the Churu district of Rajasthan on Wednesday.

According to reports, the two Indian Air Force pilots killed in the Jaguar fighter crash in Churu have been identified as Squadron Leader Lokendra Singh Sindhu, 31, and Flight Lieutenant Rishi Raj Singh, 23. Other reports say Squadron Leader Sindhu was 44-years-old.

The IAF Jaguar fighter jet had lost balance mid-air and then crashed into a field, an eyewitness had reportedly said. The eyewitness also said that they saw a body at the crash site.

The twin-seater fighter jet crashed yesterday afternoon near Bhanoda village in Churu while the pilots were on a routine training mission. The Air Force announced that both pilots have been killed in the crash and that an inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.

The IAF said both pilots sustained fatal injuries in the accident, while no damage to any civil property was reported. Notably, this is the third Jaguar fighter jet to crash since March. In April, an IAF Jaguar went down near Jamnagar in Gujarat, killing one pilot. Another crash took place in Haryana’s Panchkula on March 7.

The Wednesday crash took place in the Ratangarh area and led to a quick response from the police and emergency services.

"An IAF Jaguar Trainer aircraft met with an accident during a routine training mission and crashed near Churu in Rajasthan, today. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries in the accident. No damage to any civil property has been reported...A court of inquiry has been constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident," IAF said in its X post on Wednesday.

Who are the two pilots killed in IAF fighter jet crash in Churu

Squadron Leader Sindhu was from Haryana's Rohtak and Flight Lieutenant Singh from Pali In Rajasthan.

Sindhu had recently become a father to a baby boy, while Singh was the eldest son in his family

Reports said Sindhu’s wife gave birth to a baby boy on June 10. His wife was said to be still at her maternal home when the news of his death reached the family.

Native of Rohtak, Sindhu got married during the Covid period and joined the Indian Air Force in 2016.

Singh, native of Pali, was the youngest of three siblings in his family. His youngest brother is currently studying in class 12 in Jodhpur.

His other brother works at a multinational company, and his sister has recently completed her service as a short-service commissioned officer in the air force, according to The Times of India. Singh was unmarried and reports say his parents had recently started looking for a bride for him.

After finishing school, Singh joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, where he completed a three-and-a-half-year course before joining the IAF, according to Bhaskar English.

Jaguar fighter jet into question again

As per reports, the Jaguar fighter used by the IAF is vintage and has been heavily upgraded over the years. India currently has about 120 such fighter jets in operation and these are spread across six squadrons.

The third crash that happened on Wednesday has again put the spotlight on how safe these fighters are.

They were inducted into the IAF in 1979 and most of these are built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited under a transfer of technology from SEPECAT, a joint venture between France's Breguet and the British Aircraft Corporation.

The IAF is the only operator of these low-flying fighter bombers. Countries like Britain, France, Ecuador, Nigeria and Oman, which once had Jaguars in their fleet, have retired them long ago.

However, the IAF is expected to start phasing out the older Jaguar models, but they are continuing with the Jaguars owing to reports of delays in the delivery of the HAL Tejas Mk2, Rafale, and Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft.

Earlier enquiries into the crashes involving Jaguars have attributed the accidents to engine failure, suggesting it is high time they must be phased out.