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Indian Air Force Quashes Pakistan’s Claim of Not Using F-16 Fighter Jet Against India, Releases Radar Images of February 27 Aerial Combat

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Sumit Sharma
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The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday released radar images quashed Pakistan’s claim that it had not usd F-16 fighter jets against India on February 27, the day when the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) violated the Indian airspace. Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operations) in a media briefing said that there was more credible evidence available that the PAF used the F-16 warplace, but due to security and confidentiality concerns the IAF is restricting the information being shared in public domain. The IAF said that Pakistani aircraft fired multiple AMRAAM missiles which were defeated. Pakistan’s F-16 Which Violated Indian Air Space Shot Down by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman with Mig-21 Bison; IAF Presents Cover of AMRAAM Missile As Evidence.

Radar images released by the IAF:

“In the aerial combat that followed one MiG 21 Bison of the IAF piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan shot down one F-16 of PAF. As shown in radar image on the slide. The F-16 crashed and fell across the LOC. The IAF lost one MiG21 in the aerial engagement and Abhinandan ejected safely but his parachute drifted across the Line of Control, and he was taken into custody by Pakistan Army,” said the Air Vice Marshal. ‘R-73 Selected’, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s Last Radio Message Before Ejecting Out of Mig-21 Bison.

Media briefing of the IAF:

The AWACS radar image of the engagement area west of the Line of Control opposite Jhangar shows that there were a bunch of F-16s opposite Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Meanwhile, in a second image which was taken 10 seconds later, one of the F-16 fighter jets disappeared which is believed to be hit by the MIG-21 Bison piloted by Wg Cdr Vathaman. Pakistan Air Force Pilot Shahzaz Ud Din Whose F-16 Was Shot Down by Wg Cd Abhinandan Varthaman Mistaken to be Indian; Lynched by PoK Locals?

However, Pakistan claimed that it had not used F-16 jets during the aerial combat on February 27, a day after the IAF fighter jets destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camps in Pakistan’s Balakot. In the dogfight the IAF pilot’s MIG-21 Bison was also hit which forced him to eject.His parachaute drifted across the Line of Control (LoC) and was taken into custody by the Pakistani Army.

The IAF officer was released almost after 60 hours  by Pakistan on March 1. After his return from Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border, the IAF pilot underwent a series of medical tests at Army’s Research and Referral (R&R) hospital in Delhi.

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2 responses to “Indian Air Force Quashes Pakistan’s Claim of Not Using F-16 Fighter Jet Against India, Releases Radar Images of February 27 Aerial Combat”

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