CHURU, RAJASTHAN — An Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar trainer aircraft crashed on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, near Bhanuda village in Rajasthan's Churu district, tragically killing both pilots on board. The twin-seater jet, on a routine training mission, went down in an agricultural field around 1:25 PM IST, according to local police officials.
The IAF confirmed the accident in a statement, expressing deep regret for the loss of lives. "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," the official statement read. It added that no damage to any civilian property was reported on the ground, and a Court of Inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Eyewitnesses in Bhanuda village reported hearing a loud explosion followed by plumes of smoke and fire rising from the crash site. Locals rushed to the scene before emergency services arrived, finding scattered debris and the remains of the pilots. Police teams from Rajaldesar and Ratangarh, along with fire brigades and ambulances, quickly reached the spot, and the area was cordoned off for investigation. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Governor Haribhau Bagade extended their condolences to the bereaved families.
This incident marks the third Jaguar crash for the Indian Air Force this year alone, raising renewed concerns about the aging fleet of these deep penetration strike aircraft. Previously, a Jaguar jet crashed in Panchkula, Haryana, in March, where the pilot safely ejected. Another incident occurred in April near Jamnagar, Gujarat, during a night mission, resulting in the death of one of the two pilots.
The SEPECAT Jaguar, nicknamed "Shamsher" (Sword of Justice) by the IAF, was first inducted into service in 1979. While it has undergone multiple upgrades, including the DARIN-III program for advanced avionics, the aircraft's vintage design and its Rolls-Royce-Turbomeca Adour Mk811 engines have been a point of discussion regarding their thrust limitations and overall longevity. The IAF remains the only air force in the world to continue operating a significant number of these jets, with other nations having retired their Jaguar fleets decades ago.
Aviation experts note that while the Jaguar is considered a relatively safe twin-engine aircraft, a "Court of Inquiry" will be crucial to determine the exact cause of this specific crash. Factors such as technical malfunction, human error, or environmental elements like bird strikes are typically investigated. The increasing frequency of crashes involving the Jaguar fleet underscores the critical need for its planned phased replacement by more modern aircraft as part of the IAF's ongoing modernization efforts. The identities of the deceased pilots have not been officially released by the IAF but have been reported by some media outlets.
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