506
Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman, who shot down the Pakistani F-16 during a dogfight near the Line of Control in 2019 and made news headlines across the country, is now no longer with the Indian Air Force (IAF) as he has retired from service and entered the commercial aviation industry. According to sources, he left the force on March 31 and has joined Fly91, a regional airline, on an anonymous basis.
Dogfight That Made Him A National Hero
Abhinandan gained fame following the events of 27 February 2019, a day after IAF Mirage-2000 jets targeted terror camps in Pakistan’s Balakot in retaliation to the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel had lost their lives on 14 February of that year. Abhinandan who was then a Wing Commander and was only 35 years old found himself caught up in the thick of an aerial combat. Fighting against the odds of age – he was flying a MiG-21 Bison, generations ahead of the Pakistani F-16s, he shot down one Pakistani jet just before his own fighter took a hit compelling him to eject from his fighter. It was hailed by experts as the first ever F-16 shot down by a MiG-21 Bison. He was captured in the process and remained in captivity for almost 60 hours before he was released by Pakistan to India on March 1, 2019.
Awarded With The Vir Chakra
In appreciation of his performance, the Indian government conferred on Abhinandan the coveted Vir Chakra, which is the third-highest gallantry award given by the nation in time of war, next to the Param Vir Chakra and the Maha Vir Chakra. Abhinandan’s citation, which was published in the Gazette of India in December 2019, referred to him taking on a large Pakistani fighter package even though he was outnumbered and outgunned technologically; his aggressive flying tactic put the enemy formation in disarray.
The Story Behind The Engagement
The citation said that Abhinandan was on operational readiness duty at the Srinagar air base when the Indian radars detected a large Pakistani fighter formation closing in on the LoC. He was dispatched in just five minutes of the detection and went after a fleeing enemy aircraft, bringing it down in the engagement that ensued. It is also mentioned that Abhinandan had to eject deep into enemy territory after an enemy jet had launched several advanced beyond-visual-range missiles at him, with one hitting him.
Khushi Patel is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX, covering automotive, technology, Lifestyle, entertainment, and mainstream news. She previously worked as a Copy Editor at Times Network and has written automotive editorial content, including comparison pieces, for TimesDrive.
