Flight Lieutenant Siddharth Yadav got engaged a few days ago. His wedding was planned for November this year.
His family was preparing for celebrations, his fiancée dreaming of a future together.
That future now lies shattered, replaced by a void as deep as the skies he once soared through.
On Wednesday night, during a routine night training sortie, the 28-year-old Indian Air Force pilot lost his life when his Jaguar fighter jet crashed near Jamnagar in Gujarat.
Siddharth was cremated with full military honours at his native Majra Bhalkhi village in Haryana's Rewari district on Friday.
In his final moments, Yadav chose duty and sacrifice over personal safety — steering the malfunctioning aircraft away from residential areas to ensure there were no civilian casualties.
His co-pilot managed to eject and is currently recovering in hospital. Yadav, however, could not escape in time.
According to the IAF’s official statement, the two-seater Jaguar aircraft took off from Jamnagar Airfield and crashed during a night mission due to a technical malfunction. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered.
The Jamnagar crash is the latest in a series of alarming incidents involving the IAF’s ageing fleet.
Just last month, a Jaguar jet crashed in Haryana’s Ambala during another training sortie. The pilot managed to eject safely.
Spotlight on defunct fleet
Around the same time, a Soviet-era Antonov An-32 transporter was involved in a “serious incident” while landing in Bagdogra, West Bengal. Although no casualties occurred, the accident highlighted the vulnerabilities in the IAF’s transport operations.
The Jaguar, inducted into the IAF in 1979, and the An-32, commissioned in 1984, have both served well beyond their intended lifespans.
The IAF is currently the only major air force in the world still operating Jaguars. Britain, France, Oman, Nigeria, and Ecuador retired the fleet years ago, with many aircraft now only seen in museums.
Despite its age and underpowered Rolls Royce-Turbomeca Adour Mk811/821 engines, the Jaguar remains a critical part of India's deep-strike and nuclear delivery capabilities.
Attempts to re-engine the aircraft with the Honeywell F-125IN turbofan were scrapped in 2019 due to cost concerns. The IAF has since resorted to acquiring surplus parts and even airframes from other countries to keep the fleet operational.
Yet, serviceability remains poor, with only 50-60% of the aircraft often mission-ready. Since their induction, Jaguars have been involved in nearly 50 accidents.
The An-32 fleet faces similar issues. A $400 million upgrade program with Ukraine stalled following the 2014 Crimea crisis and later due to the Russia-Ukraine war, leaving several aircraft without modern avionics and critical systems.
Past incidents, including the tragic 2016 crash over the Bay of Bengal that claimed 29 lives, underline the risks posed by the ageing transporters.
Veterans within the Air Force have been alarm bells. Many believe that the continued use of obsolete aircraft — combined with slow procurement processes and inadequate fleet replacement — is now endangering both personnel and mission readiness.
Air Chief Marshal's response
In response to these concerns, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, speaking in late February, underscored the urgency of ramping up production. “The Indian Air Force requires the production of at least 35 to 40 fighter jets per year to replace its ageing fleet,” he said.
He emphasized that this target is not beyond reach, citing Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s commitment to manufacturing 24 Tejas Mk1A jets annually starting next year.
“If a homegrown system delivers 90 per cent or even 85 per cent of what is available in the world market, we will opt for it,” Singh added, reinforcing the need for self-sufficiency in defence manufacturing to reduce reliance on imports.
“The IAF is at an inflection point,” retired Air Vice Marshal Arjun Subramaniam wrote recently. “The gap between what the IAF aspires to do and what it can realistically execute is growing dangerously wide.”
General VK Singh's 97 per cent obsolete remark
In 2012, the then Army Chief General VK Singh had raised the sorry state of infrastructure in the armed forces in the country in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dated March 12.
The letter, sent to the Prime Minister's Office, had asked the then PM Manmohan Singh to 'pass suitable directions to enhance the preparedness of the Army'.
General Singh wrote that the Army's entire tank fleet was devoid of critical ammunition to defeat enemy tanks. He also added that the air defence was '97 per cent obsolete and it doesn't give the deemed confidence to protect from the air', the infantry had 'deficiencies of crew served weapon' and lacks 'night fighting' capabilities and that the Elite Special Forces were 'woefully short of essential weapons'.
In stark contrast, India’s primary adversary, China, has already moved well into the future.
China's Chengdu J-20
Since 2011, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force has operated the Chengdu J-20 “Mighty Dragon” — a twin-engine, all-weather stealth fighter built to rival even the American F-35.
Designed for air superiority and precision strike, the J-20 plays a pivotal role in projecting Chinese power across the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and deep into the Western Pacific.
While India mourns the loss of one of its bravest sons and grapples with aircraft dating back to the Cold War, its regional adversary is flying fifth-generation jets.
Flight Lieutenant Siddharth Yadav gave his life to protect others. As his family and the nation grieve, his sacrifice demands more than just sorrow — it calls for reflection, accountability, and urgent reform.