Who Were the Two Pilots Killed in the Churu Jaguar Crash?

Two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots, Squadron Leader Lokendra Singh Sindhu (44) and Flight Lieutenant Rishi Raj Singh (23), lost their lives after a Jaguar fighter aircraft crashed in Rajasthan’s Churu district on Wednesday.  

Squadron Leader Lokendra Singh Sindhu

Lokendra Singh Sindhu was a native of Rohtak in Haryana. He joined the Indian Air Force in 2016 and was the youngest among three siblings. His brother works in a multinational company, and his sister recently completed her tenure as a short-service commissioned officer in the Air Force. Sindhu got married during the Covid period and had recently become a father. His wife gave birth to a baby boy on June 10 and was staying at her maternal home when news of the tragedy reached the family. His parents had recently started looking for a bride for him.

Flight Lieutenant Rishi Raj Singh

Rishi Raj Singh was from Pali in Rajasthan. After completing school, he joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, where he completed a three-and-a-half-year course before joining the Indian Air Force. His father runs a hotel business, and his mother is a homemaker. He also has a younger brother who is currently studying in Class 12 in Jodhpur.  

What Happened in the Churu Jaguar Crash?

The Jaguar fighter aircraft crashed near Bhanuda village in Rajasthan’s Churu district on Wednesday during a routine training mission in the Ratangarh area. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft appeared to lose control in the air before crashing into a field. The Indian Air Force confirmed the crash on its official X account, stating that both pilots sustained fatal injuries and that there was no damage to civilian property. A court of inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the crash.

This incident marks the third Jaguar crash since March. In April, a Jaguar crashed in Gujarat, killing one pilot, while another crash occurred in Haryana in March.

The Jaguar aircraft, first inducted into the Indian Air Force in 1979, is an older model that has undergone several upgrades over time. India operates around 120 Jaguars across six squadrons, with most built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited under a technology transfer agreement with SEPECAT, a joint venture between France’s Breguet and the British Aircraft Corporation.

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