<p class="title">The Indian Air Force lost 27 aircraft, including 15 fighter jets and helicopters, in crashes since 2016, Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik said on Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The quantum of provisional loss in 11 cases of crashes was approximately Rs 524.64 crore, he said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In the 2016-17 fiscal, six IAF fighter jets, two helicopters, one transport aircraft and one trainer crashed. In 2017-18, the air force lost two fighter jets and one trainer aircraft in crashes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The number rose sharply in 2018-19 with the IAF losing seven fighter jets, two helicopters, and two trainers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">This included the crash of the MiG-21 fighter jet which was being piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman during a dog fight with Pakistan Air Force planes on February 27.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On the same day, a Mi-17 helicopter also crashed killing six air force personnel.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In 2019-20, so far, an AN-32 transport aircraft crashed in Arunachal Pradesh, killing 13 air force personnel earlier this month. </p>
<p class="title">The Indian Air Force lost 27 aircraft, including 15 fighter jets and helicopters, in crashes since 2016, Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik said on Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The quantum of provisional loss in 11 cases of crashes was approximately Rs 524.64 crore, he said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In the 2016-17 fiscal, six IAF fighter jets, two helicopters, one transport aircraft and one trainer crashed. In 2017-18, the air force lost two fighter jets and one trainer aircraft in crashes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The number rose sharply in 2018-19 with the IAF losing seven fighter jets, two helicopters, and two trainers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">This included the crash of the MiG-21 fighter jet which was being piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman during a dog fight with Pakistan Air Force planes on February 27.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On the same day, a Mi-17 helicopter also crashed killing six air force personnel.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In 2019-20, so far, an AN-32 transport aircraft crashed in Arunachal Pradesh, killing 13 air force personnel earlier this month. </p>