Jaipur: An Indian Air Force (IAF) SEPECAT Jaguar trainer aircraft crashed in the Churu district of Rajasthan on Wednesday afternoon, killing both pilots. A Court of Inquiry has been constituted.
“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. IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families in this time of grief. A court of inquiry has been constituted, to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the IAF posted on X.
Locals claimed that they heard an explosion before spotting debris strewed over a large area near the Bhanuda village in Ratangarh.
The bodies of both pilots have been recovered, officials said. A blast and debris spread across a large area are indicative of a major technical failure that caused a mid-air explosion. The pilots clearly did not get any chance to eject.
This is the third incident involving the Jaguar deep-strike fighter aircraft in 2025. A Jaguar crashed near Panchkula, Haryana, in March and another one in Jamnagar, Gujarat, on April 2. Flight Lieutenant Siddharth Yadav died in the Jamnagar crash.
The SEPECAT Jaguar was first inducted into the IAF in 1979. By 2008, the IAF had 140 of these aircraft. However, 65 aircraft were lost between 2008 and 2015. More aircraft were inducted and as of April 2025, their numbers stood at 115, with only 83 remaining serviceable.
Officials say that only about 50-60% of the fleet is mission-ready at any time due to maintenance issues and non-availability of spare parts. Over the last few years, the Jaguar fleet has lost two aircraft every year on average.
