An Indian Air Force pilot died after a Jaguar fighter jet crashed near Bhanoda village in Rajasthan’s Churu district around 1:25 pm on Wednesday. According to defence sources, the jet was a twin-seater. There is still no official update on the condition of the second pilot. Reports say two other people, possibly local civilians, were injured in the crash. The Air Force has sent helicopters to the crash site for rescue and investigation.

This is the third Jaguar crash this year. The first crash happened in Haryana’s Panchkula on March 7, and the second near Jamnagar in Gujarat on April 2. The fighter jet that crashed today had taken off from the Suratgarh Air Force base in Rajasthan.

About Jaguar jets 

Jaguar jets are twin-engine fighter-bomber aircraft used by the Indian Air Force. They come in single- and twin-seat versions. Although they are old models, the Air Force still uses them after making several upgrades over the years. An investigation is expected to find out the reason for the crash. Indiahas around 120 Jaguar fighter jets, which are divided among six squadrons.

Jaguar fighter jet crashes in 2025

The jet that crashed in Gujarat in April was also a twin-seater. One of the pilots, Siddharth Yadav, died while saving his co-pilot’s life. The crash happened at 9:30 pm in an open field during a training mission. The jet had a technical problem, but Yadav made sure his co-pilot ejected safely and only had minor injuries.

Sadly, Yadav could not escape in time and died. He was engaged to be married soon. Thankfully, no civilians were hurt in that crash. Yadav’s father, Sushil Yadav, told NDTV that he was very proud of his son’s bravery. He said, "I am very proud… he lost his life while saving another. But it is also very painful as he was my only son."

The first Jaguar crash this year happened on March 7. That jet took off from the Air Force base in Ambala, Punjab. It went down after a system failure. The pilot managed to eject safely after making sure the jet wouldn’t crash into a civilian area.