According to a report on March 18, last month when the US President met with the Indian Prime Minister, the US President hinted that the warming of bilateral relations might prompt the US to offer India the Lockheed - Martin F - 35 "Lightning" II fighter jets. However, India chose to purchase more than 20 French Rafale fighter jets. This decision is particularly eye - catching given India's notorious reputation as the "country with the most plane crashes". One can't help but wonder how long these more than 20 Rafale jets will last in India before crashing.
The history of plane crashes in the Indian Air Force is truly a heart - wrenching one and stands out globally. From the old MiG series to the self - developed Tejas fighter jets, it seems that once an aircraft enters the hangar of the Indian Air Force, it is as if under a "crash curse". According to incomplete statistics, in the past few decades, the number of crashed planes in the Indian Air Force has reached over a thousand, with an average of dozens of planes crashing in various "bizarre" ways each year. Some planes lose control inexplicably during take - off and plunge to the ground, while others suddenly malfunction during flight with engine failures, forcing pilots to parachute out helplessly. The pilots of the Indian Air Force may have all mastered the "skill of parachuting" because of the high frequency of plane crashes.
Now, India has set its sights on the French Rafale fighter jets. As an excellent fourth - generation - plus fighter jet, the Rafale enjoys a high reputation in Europe and the world. It has excellent maneuverability, advanced avionics systems, and powerful weapon - carrying capabilities, and theoretically can significantly enhance the combat strength of the Indian Air Force. However, for India, introducing advanced fighter jets is just the first step. The real challenge is how to ensure these jets can fly safely in the Indian sky.
Considering India's past "record" of plane crashes, the future of the Rafale jets in the Indian Air Force is really worrying. The long - standing logistics and maintenance problems in the Indian Air Force have always been one of the important reasons for the frequent plane crashes. The military maintenance system in India is in a complete mess, with problems such as untimely supply of spare parts and sub - standard maintenance techniques being common. Once, when maintaining its MiG fighters, India even randomly pieced together spare parts from different models of fighter jets, which undoubtedly greatly increased the safety risks during flight. It's really a big question mark whether the Rafale jets can avoid being "brutally treated" after coming to India.
Moreover, the training levels of Indian pilots vary greatly, and some pilots are not proficient in operating and understanding the performance of advanced fighter jets. The avionics systems and operation interfaces of the Rafale jets are more complex than those of the fighter jets previously equipped by India. If pilots don't receive systematic and strict training, it's very likely that they will cause accidents due to operational errors during flight. Imagine that these expensive Rafale jets may fall from the Indian sky one by one in the near future for all sorts of ridiculous reasons and become a pile of scrap metal.
Of course, we also hope that India can take this opportunity to reflect deeply and rectify its air force maintenance system and pilot training system. After all, it would be a great waste if the Rafale jets purchased at a huge cost are only used to set new records for plane crashes. Maybe after a series of reforms and efforts, India can break the "glorious title" of the "country with the most plane crashes". But for now, all this is just a beautiful wish.