Even as Opp parties and Pakistan went to town over a report denying India downed a Pak Air Force F-16, the Pentagon poured cold water on the allegations saying it ‘wasn’t aware of any investigation into the matter’.
Even as Opp parties and Pakistan went to town over a report denying India downed a Pak Air Force F-16, the Pentagon poured cold water on the allegations saying it ‘wasn’t aware of any investigation into the matter’.
Contradicting the news report which claimed that officials had taken stock and come to the conclusion that no F-16 was downed, the US state department said it wasn't aware of any investigation into the matter and that US had suspended security assistance to Pakistan since Jan 2018.
Read: How Abhinandan risked his life to shoot down an F-16
The state department meanwhile distanced itself and told a newspaper: “As a matter of policy, the Department does not publicly comment on details of government-to-government agreements on end-use monitoring of US-origin defence articles.”
The statement from the US State Department also added, “It is important to note that since January 2018, the United States government has suspended security assistance to Pakistan.”
The Indian Air Force on February 28 displayed pieces of the AMRAAM missile, fired by a Pakistani F-16, as evidence to "conclusively" prove that Pakistan deployed US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets during an aerial raid targeting Indian military installations in Kashmir.
Read: BJP lashes out at Opp for singing Pak's song
The Indian Air Force Friday asserted that it shot down an F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan during the February 27 dogfight, refuting a leading US news magazine report contradicting India's claim.
Issuing a statement after the American magazine 'Foreign Policy' reported that a US count of the F-16s with Pakistan has found that none of these jets are missing, the IAF said, "during the aerial engagement, one MiG 21 Bison of the IAF shot down an F-16 in Nowshera sector." IAF sources also said it has conclusive "circumstantial evidence" including wireless intercepts, signals and graphic captures from airborne warning and control system (AWACS) and electronic signatures to conclude that the F-16 jet was shot down during the aerial combat.
1. What the IAF said
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The Indian Air Force Friday asserted that it shot down an F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan during the February 27 dogfight, refuting a leading US news magazine report contradicting India's claim.
Issuing a statement after the American magazine 'Foreign Policy' reported that a US count of the F-16s with Pakistan has found that none of these jets are missing, the IAF said, "during the aerial engagement, one MiG 21 Bison of the IAF shot down an F-16 in Nowshera sector." IAF sources also said it has conclusive "circumstantial evidence" including wireless intercepts, signals and graphic captures from airborne warning and control system (AWACS) and electronic signatures to conclude that the F-16 jet was shot down during the aerial combat.
"The Indian Forces have confirmed sighting ejections at two different places on that day. The two sightings were at places separated by at least 8-10 km. One was an IAF MiG 21 Bison and other a PAF aircraft. Electronic signatures gathered by us indicate that the PAF aircraft was a F-16," the IAF said in the statement.
Pakistan Air Force's attempted "reposte" on February 27 comprising a large force of Pakistan Air Force comprising F-16s, JF 17s and Mirage III/V aircraft were picked up by the IAF radars, the IAF said.
"They were intercepted by IAF's Su30-MKI, Mirage 2000 and Mig 21 Bison fighters guided by ground radars and AWACS. All attempts of the PAF to attack any targets were thwarted by the IAF," the IAF said.
The Indian Air Force on February 28 displayed pieces of an AMRAAM missile, fired by a Pakistani F-16, as evidence to "conclusively" prove that Pakistan deployed US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets during an aerial raid targeting Indian military installations in Kashmir.
Pakistan has denied that it lost any F-16 jet during the aerial combat.
Sources said electronic signals from the F-16 aircraft which was engaged by an Mig 21 Bison ended abruptly, confirming that it crashed after being hit.
They said IAF's AWACS picked up signals of presence of an F-16 aircraft when Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's MiG-21 Bison was engaging with the enemy jet. However, around eight seconds later, the F-16 went missing from the graphic screen of the AWACS, reflecting that the jet went down.
IAF sources said radio intercepts showed that two pilots had ejected after the aerial engagement and one of them was admitted to a Pakistani hospital.
They said, Indian ground forces also sighted two parachutes coming down at Sabi Kot and Tandar following the aerial combat on February 27. The two places are separated by a distance of around 8 to 10 kms.
2. What BJP said
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The BJP on Saturday hit out at the opposition parties, alleging that they were strengthening the hands of those harbouring terrorism by "distrusting" the government and the armed forces.
The party was reacting to queries on Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan accusing the BJP of "whipping up war hysteria" and making a "false claim" of downing an F-16 aircraft.
Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said it was deplorable that the opposition was trying to strengthen the argument of the neighbouring country with its attitude.
"Here the Prime Minister Modi sends the air force to cross the line of control, get into Pakistan, attack terrorism at its roots in Balakot, and on the other hand, the opposition is trying to strengthen the arguments of the neighbouring country," he said.
"When you have people like Sam Pitroda and Farooq Abdullah and other Congress leaders, distrusting their own government and their own armed forces, obviously you are going to strengthen the hand of the people and the parties, and the countries, who are harbouring terrorism," the BJP leader said at a press conference when asked about Khan's remarks.
3. Imran Khan's reaction
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Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday accused the BJP of "whipping up war hysteria", saying its false claim of downing a Pakistani F-16 has "backfired", days after a leading American magazine claimed that none of the US-manufactured fighter jets of the PAF were missing.
Washington-based Foreign Policy magazine reported on Thursday that American personnel recently counted the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16s and found none of the planes missing.
It quoted two senior US defence officials with direct knowledge of the situation.
The Indian Air Force, however, stuck to its stand on Friday, saying that it had conclusive proof of shooting down a PAF F-16 on February 27.
Reacting to the Foreign Policy report, Prime Minister Khan took to Twitter to criticise the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"The truth always prevails and is always the best policy. BJP's attempt to win elections through whipping up war hysteria and false claims of downing a Pak F-16 has backfired with US Defence officials also confirming that no F-16 was missing from Pakistan's fleet," he said in a tweet.
