New Delhi: A MiG-29 interceptor of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed during a training mission near Punjab’s Jalandhar on May 8. The pilot ejected safely. He was soon taken away in a rescue helicopter, a statement to this effect said.

“The aircraft had developed a technical snag and the pilot ejected safely as he was unable to control the aircraft. The pilot has been rescued by a helicopter. A court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of accident,” the IAF said.

The MiG-29 has seen action in the Kargil war in 1999 and also used to escort other jets on bombing missions from incoming “bandits” or enemy fighter jets.

The IAF operates over 60 MiG-29s, all of which have been upgraded with advanced avionics and better weapons to convert them into multirole jets that can perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions equally well.