New Delhi: Another MiG aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has crashed. The latest is a MiG 27 UPG (upgraded) jet that crashed on Sunday morning while on a routine mission from Jodhpur in Rajasthan. The fighter jet fell at Godana village in Rajasthan’s Sirohi district.

The series of MiG crashes will be a cause for massive worry for the Air Force, which has already lost a number of planes in 2018-19. Alarmingly, it has lost six jets in February itself.    

According to preliminary reports, the pilot ejected safely and there was no loss of life and property on the ground. A court of inquiry would investigate the cause of the accident.

The Air Force, in February alone, lost eight officers in six aircraft crashes. Six Air Force officers and a civilian were killed after an Mi-17 chopper crashed in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam on February 27. Two of the aircraft lost were in combat — the MiG 21 Bison that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was flying and the Mi-17 V5 that went down on February 27. The rest of the crashes have occurred during routine missions. 

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The Air Force has lost nine aircraft in the last three months alone, which has reportedly made this financial year costly for the IAF. It has lost 17 aircraft, ranging from helicopters to combat jets and trainers, in 2018-19.

On February 12, a MiG 27 fighter jet crashed in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer, while it was flying on a training mission. The pilot of the crashed jet was reported to be safe. The MiG-27 UPG is a very potent air-to-ground strike aircraft, which is capable of carrying a variety of armament loads, comprising bombs, rockets and front guns. This aircraft can operate over a wide range of speeds due to its swing-wing design.

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Last year, a MiG 27 aircraft crashed in Jodhpur. The MiG 27 jet is a Soviet Union-designed fighter aircraft and is among the several fighter jets that the Air Force operates. The IAF also operates the MiG 21 and the MiG 29.