Bhubaneswar, Feb. 6 -- A Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft of Indian Airforce crashed near Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh today.

The twin-seater fighter jet crashed while it was on a routine sortie, reports said.

The two pilots of the aircraft are safe. A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the crash.

Mirage 2000, a fourth-generation fighter aircraft, is manufactured by the Dassault Aviation of France.

The single-engine and multirole fighter aircraft was introduced into service in 1980s.

India procured Mirage 2000 aircraft for its air force around 1985. However, the country never produced the fighter jet itself under licensed manufacturing.

Now, India has around 50 Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft. The Indian Airforce (IA...