Recent incidents involving the Indian military have brought its competence and professionalism into question. A Coast Guard helicopter crashed into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Gujarat while on a rescue mission, with two pilots and two divers on board. The pilots remain missing.
In a separate incident, a MiG-29 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force crashed on the night of September 2-3 in the Barmer sector of Rajasthan. The jet reportedly went down due to pilot inexperience shortly after takeoff.
These events add to a series of accidents highlighting concerns about the Indian military's capabilities. Over the past 30 years, the Indian Air Force has witnessed 535 aircraft crashes, with 46 accidents occurring in the last five years alone, leading to the deaths of 42 pilots.
The repeated incidents have cast doubts on the Indian military's preparedness and raised questions about the impact of government policies on the defense sector.