New Delhi, Jun 26 (UNI) Apart from losing precious lives of 29 highly trained pilots, the Indian Air Force had incurred a loss of over Rs 23 billions in the air accidents over the past eight years alone. According to figures of monetary losses, accessed by UNI, the IAF has lost aircraft and service property to the tune of Rs 9 billion in the first three years of the current five year plan, starting from 2012 to 2015. In all, the IAF faced 86 air accidents in the last eight years, from 2007-8 to 2015, around 70 of them were fighter aircraft. The estimated loss, which was an estimated Rs one billion 75 crores in the year 2007-8 in the 12 air accidents, jumped to Rs 7 billion 72 crore in the year 2011-12 with 13 air mishaps. The costliest aircraft the IAF lost in this period was C-130 J, which crashed in March, 2014 with an official estimate of loss of over Rs 3 billion 74 crore. The exact figure of losses in the period was Rs 23, 26,24,52,045. According to official data, the IAF had been losing 7 to 12 aircraft per year in this period with maximum number of 13 mishaps each occurring in between 2008 to 2012. The IAF lost 52 aircraft in these four years with an estimated loss of Rs 18 billion. The rate of accidents came down in 2012-13 and 2013-14 with total number of mishaps settling at 12 aircraft in two years. But the monetary losses in these accidents were as high as Rs 7.5 billion. The IAF, which is facing a situation of depletion of its fighter strength, which stands at 35 active squadron at present, has in fact lost number of aircraft equivalent to four squadrons in accidents in the eight years. UNI MK CJ ADG 0935