SOURCE: AFI
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has long relied on its fleet of SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft for deep-strike and ground-attack missions, but the ageing fleet’s safety record has come under scrutiny following a series of crashes in recent years. Air Commodore (Retd) A.S. Bahal, a veteran IAF officer, recently highlighted the Jaguar’s troubling history, noting that the fleet had suffered 50 crashes by 2015, resulting in the loss of 65 aircraft out of the 140 originally inducted.
As of April 2025, the IAF’s Jaguar fleet stands at 115 aircraft, with 83 remaining operational, and the crash frequency has settled at an alarming rate of approximately two aircraft per year in recent years. This persistent accident rate, combined with the IAF’s broader squadron shortages, raises serious questions about the fleet’s sustainability and the urgent need for modernization.
The SEPECAT Jaguar, a joint Anglo-French design, was inducted into the IAF in 1979 to replace the ageing Canberra bombers. Known as “Shamsher” (Sword of Justice) in IAF service, the Jaguar was initially hailed for its deep-penetration strike capabilities and low-altitude performance, making it a critical asset for ground attack and maritime strike roles. The IAF acquired 40 Jaguars in fly-away condition from the UK, with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) later licence-building another 100 under a technology transfer agreement, bringing the total to 140 by 2008.
However, the Jaguar’s operational history has been marred by a high attrition rate. According to Air CMDE (Retd) A.S. Bahal, the fleet had already suffered 50 crashes by 2015, resulting in the loss of 65 aircraft—nearly 46% of the original fleet. These accidents were attributed to a combination of factors, including the aircraft’s underpowered Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour Mk811 engines, ageing airframes, and the challenges of maintaining a fleet designed in the 1970s. The IAF’s operating environment, characterized by high-altitude missions, tropical humidity, and dust, has further accelerated wear and tear on the airframes, exacerbating the risk of technical malfunctions.
As of April 2025, the IAF’s Jaguar fleet has been reduced to 115 aircraft, with only 83 remaining operational—a serviceability rate of just 72%. This low serviceability is a persistent issue, with reports indicating that only 50–60% of the fleet is mission-ready at any given time due to maintenance challenges and a lack of spare parts. The Jaguars’ age—now approaching 45 years for the earliest units—has made them increasingly prone to technical failures, a fact underscored by recent incidents, including a fatal crash on April 2, 2025, near Jamnagar, Gujarat, which claimed the life of Flight Lieutenant Siddharth Yadav.
Air CMDE Bahal noted that the Jaguar fleet has maintained a crash frequency of approximately two aircraft per year in recent years, a rate that has remained consistent despite efforts to improve safety and maintenance practices. This statistic is particularly alarming given the fleet’s reduced size and the IAF’s already strained squadron strength. Over the past decade, the IAF has lost around 20 Jaguars to crashes, with at least five incidents reported since 2015, including two in 2025 alone—one in March near Panchkula, Haryana, and the aforementioned Jamnagar crash in April.
The March 2025 crash in Panchkula involved a Jaguar on a training sortie from Ambala Airbase. The pilot managed to steer the aircraft away from populated areas before ejecting safely, averting a potential disaster. However, the April 2 crash in Jamnagar was tragic, with Flight Lieutenant Siddharth Yadav succumbing to his injuries after ensuring the aircraft avoided civilian areas. His co-pilot ejected safely and is receiving treatment, but the incident has reignited debates about the Jaguar’s operational safety. Both crashes were attributed to technical malfunctions, a recurring issue with the fleet’s ageing systems.
The IAF’s accident rate for its overall fleet has improved over the years, dropping from 0.93 per 10,000 flying hours in 2000–2005 to 0.20–0.27 in 2020–2024, reflecting better safety protocols. However, the spate of Jaguar crashes in 2025—two within a month—suggests that the fleet’s specific challenges may be pushing this rate higher. With an average of two crashes per year, the Jaguars account for a disproportionate share of the IAF’s accidents, particularly when compared to other air forces that have retired the aircraft. The UK retired its Jaguars by 2007, France by 2005, and other operators like Oman, Ecuador, and Nigeria have long since phased them out, often relegating them to museums.
The Jaguar’s high crash rate is symptomatic of broader challenges facing the IAF, particularly its reliance on ageing platforms amid a critical shortage of fighter squadrons. The IAF is currently operating at 30–31 squadrons, far below the sanctioned strength of 42 required to counter a two-front threat from Pakistan and China. The Jaguars, which form six squadrons (approximately 96 aircraft, assuming 16 per squadron), are a vital part of this force, but their operational readiness is compromised by their age and maintenance demands. Industry sources estimate that the Jaguars require 20 hours of maintenance for every hour of flight, a ratio that strains the IAF’s overstretched maintenance teams.
Efforts to upgrade the Jaguar fleet have met with mixed success. The DARIN (Display Attack Ranging Inertial Navigation) system, introduced in phases since the 1980s, has improved the aircraft’s avionics and weapons delivery capabilities, with the latest DARIN III standard featuring a new mission computer, glass cockpit, and enhanced navigation systems. However, delays in the DARIN III rollout—attributed to budget constraints and HAL’s focus on other programs like the Tejas—have left many Jaguars operating with outdated systems. A proposed $2.4 billion engine upgrade to replace the underpowered Adour Mk811 with the more efficient Honeywell F125IN was scrapped due to cost concerns, further limiting the fleet’s performance.
The IAF has also resorted to cannibalizing parts from retired Jaguars to keep the operational fleet flying, a practice that underscores the scarcity of spares. Rolls-Royce, which supports the Adour engines, has committed to providing maintenance support only until 2035, raising questions about the fleet’s long-term sustainability. Posts on X reflect growing frustration with these issues, with users pointing to the “ageing frames, scrapped engine upgrades, and cannibalized parts” as key factors behind the Jaguar’s high accident rate.
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