India has indisputable evidence that Pakistan lost an F-16 through a mid-air combat with the Indian Air Force which was held on February 27, said by Air Force Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor on Monday, laying to rest questions raised on the Balakot strike.
IAF Shows Radar Images, Claims ‘Irrefutable’ Evidence of Downing Pak F-16
The IAF said that one of its Mig-21 Bison aircraft, shot down an F-16 of the Pakistan Air Force, which was piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan. Kapoor shared radar pictures of the air combat to counter Pakistan’s entitlement that no fighter jet was put down by the IAF.
Don’t Overlook Our Silence, Warns Pakistan Army Hours After India Showed Radar Images of F-16
The counter also came in contradiction of the background of a report in a US magazine that said all the F-16 aircraft of Pakistan were unharmed.
“On the February 16, 2019 in an intelligence-led operation, the IAF successfully struck the biggest training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Balakot. The non-military preemptive action was specifically targeted at the JeM camp”, said Air Force Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor.
The very next day, the Vice Marshal said that PAF tried to aim military camps in India. On the other hand, their efforts were let down by the IAF. “In the aerial combat that followed, one Mig 21 Bison of the IAF piloted by Wing Cmdr Abhinandan shot down one F-16 of PAF.” The F-16 fell across the Line of Control in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
Indian Air Force (IAF) releases AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System) radar images. pic.twitter.com/axy2uVObWZ
— ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2019
The IAF lost its one MiG21 in the aerial combat and pilot Abhinandan ejected securely but his parachute flowed into Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. He was taken into the custody of Pakistan by the Pak Army before being released through Wagah border.
The Indian Army posts nearby LoC in the Jhangar sector under Nowshera Brigade have visually longsighted two different parachutes. “The first sighting was due West, in general area Sabazkot and the second, was after a few minutes, Southwest, general area Tandar,” he claimed.
The two parts are closely 8-10 kms at a distance. Radio communications interrupts of Pakistan army foundations in the area also communicated of the imprisonment of at least two pilots, one them being Abhinandan and additional admitted to a Pakistan military hospital.
Announcements by a small number of Pakistani officials verify the IAF’s stand. A Pakistani army spokesperson first said “three pilots — one in custody, and two in the area”. Well ahead, he told the media that they had two pilots. Also, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan too communicated of more than two pilots. Kapoor said, “All of these conclusively prove that a total of two aircraft had gone down that day in the same area separated by approximately 1 to 1.30 minutes”.
He in additional stressed that enquiry of electronic discharges have shown that the aircraft picked up by the ELINT captures from AWACS and radio transcripts shown F-16s in the area straight in front of Abhinandan’s aircraft.
He said that there is no uncertainty that in that aerial combat on 27 February 2019, two aircraft went down, one of which was a Bison of IAF while the other was a F-16 of PAF categorically recognized by its electronic signature and radio transcriptions.
He further added, “The IAF has more credible information and evidence that is clearly indicative of the fact that PAF has lost one F-16 in the air action on the 27 Feb19. However due to security and confidentiality concerns, we are restricting the information being shared in the public domain.”
