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Ministry of Defence: MiG-21 LanceR flights have been suspended
The flight activities of the MiG-21 LanceR aircraft from the endowment of the Romanian Air Force were suspended, starting on Friday, by order of the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Daniel Petrescu.
According to the Ministry of National Defence, the measure was taken in view of the considerable incidence of aviation events and accidents recorded during the operation of MiG-21 LanceR aircraft, which resulted in several casualties and damaged or destroyed aircraft, in order to improve aviation safety and to prevent aviation activities.
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca declared in eastern Buzau, on Friday, that the decision to suspend the flights of MiG-21 LanceR aircraft, which are equipped with the Romanian Air Force, is temporary, the measure being taken in order to carry out technical analysis for safety.
"I understood that this is about a temporary suspension, that does not mean giving up the capability. This is about an analysis that began long time ago and we want to finish all technical factors in order to be sure that we will not have any more incidents of the type that happened not long ago. In this sense we need to take into account that the MiG-21 aircraft have been standard issuef for the Romanian Air Force for over 50 years. We need to truly make an analysis and an evaluation of all technical parameters of these aircraft, so that we can be sure that they can safely fly," Nicolae Ciuca declared during a visit in the county of Buzau.