Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
On August 8, while the nation's political top brass and citizens in general were involved in an animated debate on the future of Commonwealth Games 2010, far away from the national capital in India's boondocks, a young pilot was on a routine sortie on his MiG-21 fighter jet. The exercise was designed to make him battle ready. But minutes after take-off, the Indian Air Force (IAF) jet, also known as Bahadur (Brave), met with an accident. The pilot lost control and the aircraft crashed on a paddy field, some 25 km from the town of Tezpur in Assam.
Had this accident taken place in any western country, it would have been a poignant Page One story. But in India, the Tezpur report was buried in the inner pages of the national dailies. The pilot was lucky to survive the accident. But there are many who have perished in such accidents. The September 2009 MiG-21 crash in Punjab's Muktsar district claimed pilot Lt. Manu Akhori who was unable to eject on time. The list of such accidents is getting longer with each passing day.
Some 39 fighter aircraft and choppers of the IAF and the Navy have crashed in the past three years. This comes up to almost a crash a month. The IAF lost 13 qualified pilots in air crashes from 2007 to 2010. Defence minister A. K. Antony told Parliament recently, 'Thirty-nine aircraft including MiG series, Sukhoi aircraft and helicopters have been lost in air crashes during the last three financial years from 2007-08 to August 11 this year.'
Over the past decade, some 290 non-combat accidents have taken place in which 120 rookie and trained pilots of the IAF have died. Most of the casualties have been involved with the Soviet MiG-21 series. That doesn't mean that the highly-rated Jaguars and Sukhoi aircraft are safe. They too have their own victims. The monetary loss from these accidents has been well over Rs 12 billion (US$258 million). Besides, it creates a number problem for the IAF as these expensive aircraft are not available off the shelf.
Antony said that of the fighters that went down, 13 were of the aging MiG-21 series, six of MiG-27 series and two aircraft of the MiG-29 series. The latest Sukhoi 30-MKI was also lost. Moreover, Mi-8 choppers and two of the Mi-17 series choppers have also crashed. The list includes one Jaguar, one Kiran and one MiG-23.
Each IAF aircraft accident is investigated through a court of inquiry and remedial measures are taken to check their recurrence, claimed Antony. Above all, assistance is taken from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), both indigenous and foreign, to overcome the technical defects of the aircraft.
This is not for the first time that such assurances have been delivered. Following frequent crashes in 2003, the then defence minister George Fernandes had held a meeting at the air headquarters in New Delhi and said the government would 'get to the root of the problem'. But even after seven years, the problem continues to persist and these accidents continue to claim lives of young pilots. The Indian public and the families who lost their loved ones in the accidents know nothing about these accidents. Most of the time the defence officials are tight-lipped over this issue in the name of "classified security information". It would be erroneous to say that the government has done nothing. Over the year, numerous meetings have been held and committees formed to looked into the causes of the crashes. Besides, some recommendations have also been made. The most famous of these was the Committee of Fighter Aircraft Accidents in 1997. Former president APJ Abdul Kalam, who was then scientific adviser to the defence minister, headed it.
The committee recommended modernisation of test equipment and better information networking between the ministry and the labs. Besides, it also wanted transfer of design information on critical fighter jet parts. Even after 13 years of the recommendations, the debate rages about how to minimise the number of IAF crashes.
Each new accident brings back attention on the IAF that is under intense pressure to address these accidents. It is faced with uncomfortable questions: Why are these crashes not stopping? What steps has the IAF taken to combat such catastrophes? Why are officers' lives being risked? Is the government serious about the lives of pilots? Till now, the IAF and the government have taken the stand that these accidents are results of human error, technical defects and bird hits. The La Fontaine Committee, that was set up for an in-depth study into the accident pattern and the entire training process, found out a significant correlation between training and accidents. Air Chief Marshal Dennis La Fontaine had found maintenance failure, bird hits and pilot error to be the main causes for these crashes.
Air Marshal A.K. Singh, who retired as Commander in-Chief of the Western Air Command and was also DG, Inspection and Safety, told TSI there was a great difference between military aviation and civil aviation and that things needed to be seen in the right perspective. He said: 'We don't fly to travel and since the aircraft is a highly complex machine, everything cannot be just controlled. Of course the ideal would be no crashes but that can never happen.'
The aging MiG series that constitute the bulk of India's combat fleet have, of course, suffered the most. Out of the 793 single-engined MiG-21s inducted into IAF since 1963, over 330 have been lost in accidents. The problem has been compounded by shoddy maintenance, poor quality control of spares and inadequate training. As for the possible steps to bring the accidents down, Air Chief Marshal S. P. Tyagi calls it a continuous process. He said: 'It requires continuous and focused work for it involves not just keeping the air space clear of birds or maintenance of the aircraft. But it needs an investment into the machine and the man, for the machine needs to be state-of-the-art and the man flying it should be in a high motivation. Hence, it is a continuous process.' However, the families whose children have been killed in these accidents, are worried and want the IAF and the government to act on this issue soon. Of late. the IAF has acquired Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs) and flight simulators that will help lower the MiG-21 accident rate. In 1985 the La Fontaine committee recommended the acquisition of AJT to help reduce pilot error. It was decided in 1986 that 66 AJTs will be bought but it was only incorporated in February 2008 that is after 22 years. Had it come on time, it would have saved many lives and around 200 aircraft that got lost in accidents. Now AJT will help make the transition from subsonic to supersonic smooth. Also, pilots will acquire all the requisite skill and training for safety purpose. Now, pilots graduate straight to supersonic fighter jets from subsonic Kiran trainers.
A senior IAF officer, on the condition of anonymity, said the rate of accident has come down not because of the changes made in the system but for modernisation and changes in certain tactics. Earlier, pilots used to fly at low levels, giving them minimum time to bail out in case of any untoward incident. However, now they have been instructed to go for high-level flying to avoid accidents. Besides, IAF is also planning to end its dependence on the MiG series and other old fighter jets because there has been a realisation that they are outdated and are no longer fit for active training and combat purposes.
These accidents have taken a terrible toll on India's air superiority. Now Pakistan has caught up with India. Currently India is operating with just 31 squadrons. It will achieve its required and sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons by 2020. Till then, the IAF has to bank on its given strength. The loss of a fighter jet means a huge setback for the country and a loss of face for the IAF that is on the threshold of modernisation and expansion.
The IAF should provide better treatment to the families of the fallen pilots. Former British Prime Minister Gorden Brown apologised to the families of the soldiers who died in Afghanistan. A similar step from the government and the IAF will give some solace to the bereaved.
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps
An array of unconventional career options
Ragging rights and wrongs
Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU): Students' Unions can not be banned
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
On August 8, while the nation's political top brass and citizens in general were involved in an animated debate on the future of Commonwealth Games 2010, far away from the national capital in India's boondocks, a young pilot was on a routine sortie on his MiG-21 fighter jet. The exercise was designed to make him battle ready. But minutes after take-off, the Indian Air Force (IAF) jet, also known as Bahadur (Brave), met with an accident. The pilot lost control and the aircraft crashed on a paddy field, some 25 km from the town of Tezpur in Assam.
Had this accident taken place in any western country, it would have been a poignant Page One story. But in India, the Tezpur report was buried in the inner pages of the national dailies. The pilot was lucky to survive the accident. But there are many who have perished in such accidents. The September 2009 MiG-21 crash in Punjab's Muktsar district claimed pilot Lt. Manu Akhori who was unable to eject on time. The list of such accidents is getting longer with each passing day.
Some 39 fighter aircraft and choppers of the IAF and the Navy have crashed in the past three years. This comes up to almost a crash a month. The IAF lost 13 qualified pilots in air crashes from 2007 to 2010. Defence minister A. K. Antony told Parliament recently, 'Thirty-nine aircraft including MiG series, Sukhoi aircraft and helicopters have been lost in air crashes during the last three financial years from 2007-08 to August 11 this year.'
Over the past decade, some 290 non-combat accidents have taken place in which 120 rookie and trained pilots of the IAF have died. Most of the casualties have been involved with the Soviet MiG-21 series. That doesn't mean that the highly-rated Jaguars and Sukhoi aircraft are safe. They too have their own victims. The monetary loss from these accidents has been well over Rs 12 billion (US$258 million). Besides, it creates a number problem for the IAF as these expensive aircraft are not available off the shelf.
Antony said that of the fighters that went down, 13 were of the aging MiG-21 series, six of MiG-27 series and two aircraft of the MiG-29 series. The latest Sukhoi 30-MKI was also lost. Moreover, Mi-8 choppers and two of the Mi-17 series choppers have also crashed. The list includes one Jaguar, one Kiran and one MiG-23.
Each IAF aircraft accident is investigated through a court of inquiry and remedial measures are taken to check their recurrence, claimed Antony. Above all, assistance is taken from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), both indigenous and foreign, to overcome the technical defects of the aircraft.
This is not for the first time that such assurances have been delivered. Following frequent crashes in 2003, the then defence minister George Fernandes had held a meeting at the air headquarters in New Delhi and said the government would 'get to the root of the problem'. But even after seven years, the problem continues to persist and these accidents continue to claim lives of young pilots. The Indian public and the families who lost their loved ones in the accidents know nothing about these accidents. Most of the time the defence officials are tight-lipped over this issue in the name of "classified security information". It would be erroneous to say that the government has done nothing. Over the year, numerous meetings have been held and committees formed to looked into the causes of the crashes. Besides, some recommendations have also been made. The most famous of these was the Committee of Fighter Aircraft Accidents in 1997. Former president APJ Abdul Kalam, who was then scientific adviser to the defence minister, headed it.
The committee recommended modernisation of test equipment and better information networking between the ministry and the labs. Besides, it also wanted transfer of design information on critical fighter jet parts. Even after 13 years of the recommendations, the debate rages about how to minimise the number of IAF crashes.
Each new accident brings back attention on the IAF that is under intense pressure to address these accidents. It is faced with uncomfortable questions: Why are these crashes not stopping? What steps has the IAF taken to combat such catastrophes? Why are officers' lives being risked? Is the government serious about the lives of pilots? Till now, the IAF and the government have taken the stand that these accidents are results of human error, technical defects and bird hits. The La Fontaine Committee, that was set up for an in-depth study into the accident pattern and the entire training process, found out a significant correlation between training and accidents. Air Chief Marshal Dennis La Fontaine had found maintenance failure, bird hits and pilot error to be the main causes for these crashes.
Air Marshal A.K. Singh, who retired as Commander in-Chief of the Western Air Command and was also DG, Inspection and Safety, told TSI there was a great difference between military aviation and civil aviation and that things needed to be seen in the right perspective. He said: 'We don't fly to travel and since the aircraft is a highly complex machine, everything cannot be just controlled. Of course the ideal would be no crashes but that can never happen.'
The aging MiG series that constitute the bulk of India's combat fleet have, of course, suffered the most. Out of the 793 single-engined MiG-21s inducted into IAF since 1963, over 330 have been lost in accidents. The problem has been compounded by shoddy maintenance, poor quality control of spares and inadequate training. As for the possible steps to bring the accidents down, Air Chief Marshal S. P. Tyagi calls it a continuous process. He said: 'It requires continuous and focused work for it involves not just keeping the air space clear of birds or maintenance of the aircraft. But it needs an investment into the machine and the man, for the machine needs to be state-of-the-art and the man flying it should be in a high motivation. Hence, it is a continuous process.' However, the families whose children have been killed in these accidents, are worried and want the IAF and the government to act on this issue soon. Of late. the IAF has acquired Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs) and flight simulators that will help lower the MiG-21 accident rate. In 1985 the La Fontaine committee recommended the acquisition of AJT to help reduce pilot error. It was decided in 1986 that 66 AJTs will be bought but it was only incorporated in February 2008 that is after 22 years. Had it come on time, it would have saved many lives and around 200 aircraft that got lost in accidents. Now AJT will help make the transition from subsonic to supersonic smooth. Also, pilots will acquire all the requisite skill and training for safety purpose. Now, pilots graduate straight to supersonic fighter jets from subsonic Kiran trainers.
A senior IAF officer, on the condition of anonymity, said the rate of accident has come down not because of the changes made in the system but for modernisation and changes in certain tactics. Earlier, pilots used to fly at low levels, giving them minimum time to bail out in case of any untoward incident. However, now they have been instructed to go for high-level flying to avoid accidents. Besides, IAF is also planning to end its dependence on the MiG series and other old fighter jets because there has been a realisation that they are outdated and are no longer fit for active training and combat purposes.
These accidents have taken a terrible toll on India's air superiority. Now Pakistan has caught up with India. Currently India is operating with just 31 squadrons. It will achieve its required and sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons by 2020. Till then, the IAF has to bank on its given strength. The loss of a fighter jet means a huge setback for the country and a loss of face for the IAF that is on the threshold of modernisation and expansion.
The IAF should provide better treatment to the families of the fallen pilots. Former British Prime Minister Gorden Brown apologised to the families of the soldiers who died in Afghanistan. A similar step from the government and the IAF will give some solace to the bereaved.
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps
An array of unconventional career options
Ragging rights and wrongs
Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU): Students' Unions can not be banned
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
No comments:
Post a Comment