The Air Officer Commanding of the Indian Air Force station in Gujarat's Jamnagar was killed Tuesday in a fighter plane crash in the state's northwestern region.
The Jaguar fighter took off from Jamnagar and crashed in the Mundra taluk of Kutch district. Air Commodore Sanjai Chauhan suffered fatal injuries.
The flight was a routine sortie.
A Court of Inquiry will now investigate the cause of the accident.
When Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the Jamnagar station in October, Chauhan was one of the officers who received her.
Photos of the crash site in Kutch showed debris scattered over a wide area.
WHAT'S A JAGUAR FIGHTER?
⏺This deep penetration strike aircraft can make fast, low-level dashes into enemy territory for precision strikes and bombing missions.
⏺It's a twin-engine aircraft. India first acquired it in the 1980s, but it's been progressively upgraded since then.
⏺It's also license manufactured by Hindustan Aeronatuics Limited in Bengaluru.
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