Two pilots were killed in a MiG-21 crash of the Indian Air Force in Barmer. The twin seater MiG-21 trainer that took off from Uttarlai airbase crashed near Bhimda village while taking off at around 9.10 pm. The MiG-21 should have been retired long back. But huge delays in induction of new fighters, especially the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), mean that the Indian Air Force is yet to upgrade four MiG-21 squadrons (1618 jets each) to 'Bison' standards. The MiG-21, which has the world's highest landing and take-off speed of 340 km/h, is of 1960s design vintage and largely devoid of modern systems with built-in safety nets.