New Delhi: On the day BJP came out with its election manifesto 2019, Indian Air Force said on Monday that it had credible evidence clearly indicating that Pakistan Air Force lost one F-16 in the air action on February 27.
“There is no doubt that two aircraft went down in the aerial engagement on 27th February one of which was a Bison of IAF while the other was a F-16 of PAF conclusively identified by its signature and radio transcripts,” said Air Vice Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor, assistant chief of air staff (operations).
During the media briefing at the defence ministry, he showed radar images of the engagement where in one picture MiG 21 Bison and F16s could be seen. In another second slide of the battle scene captured after few seconds, the targeted F-16 had disappeared from the screen but MiG-21could still be seen.
“The F-16 crashed and fell across the LoC in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir,” said Air Vice Marshal Kapoor .
Air Vice Marshal Kapoor said that due to security and confidentiality concerns “we are restricting the information being shared in the public domain.”
He said that two aircraft had gone down on that day in the same area separated by around 1 to 1:30 minute of time.
Indian Army posts in the vicinity of the LoC in Jhangar sector have visually sighted two separate parachutes. “The first sighting was in West, in general area Sabzkot and the second was after a few minutes in Southwest general area Tandar,” he said
On 27 February IAF’s MiG 21 Bison piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman had chased and shot down one of the F16 which had fallen into Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). During the chase Wg Cdr Varthaman MiG21 has also got hit and he had to eject in PoK.
“Analysis of electronic emissions have shown that the aircraft picked up by the intercepts from Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) and radio transcripts indicated F-16s in the area directly in front of Wg Cdr Abhinandan’s aircraft,” he said.
