Article Posted on : - Nov 16, 2010

NEW DELHI (PTI): As many as 60 military aircraft including fighter jets and helicopters have crashed in the last three financial years; the Lok Sabha was informed Monday.

Forty-eight persons including five civilians were also killed in these crashes in different parts of the country, Defence Minister A K Antony said Monday.

"A total of 60 aircraft including MiG 21s and helicopters of the defence forces have crashed during the last three years from financial year 2007-08 till November 8 this fiscal," Antony said in a written reply to a query.

"43 service personnel and five civilians were killed in these accidents and 20 civilians were injured," he added.

Answering another query, the Minister said the Indian Air Force (IAF) has expressed interest in procuring personal Rescue Beacons for its fighter, transport and helicopter fleet and Emergency Location Transmitters as well as Air Borne Locator Interrogators for its transport and helicopter fleet at a cost of Rs 120 crore.

"A Request for Information (RFI) was issued in September 2010 for Combat Rescue Search Systems," he said.

In reply to a query on the submarine fleet of the Navy, Antony said Government has accorded the Acceptance of Necessity (AON) to the Navy for construction of six submarines under the Project 75 (India).

He added that "no contract" was signed with the PSU shipbuilder Mazagon Dockyards Limited for constructing submarines under Project 75 (India).