IAF Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra for shooting down a Pakistan jet in 2019
New Delhi: Indian Air Force Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhinandan Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday 22 November for shooting down a Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft in aerial combat on 27 February 2019. In 2019, Abhinandan Varthaman found himself in the middle of a ruthless battle with a Pakistani fighter jet, amid the ongoing air conflicts between India and Pakistan, following the Pulwama attack that year. ( abhinandan awarded the Vir Chakra)
Delhi: Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhinandan Varthaman being accorded the Vir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind, for shooting down a Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft during aerial combat on February 27, 2019. pic.twitter.com/CsDC0cYqds
— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2021
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Abhinandan was taken into custody by the nearby army.
Abhinandan shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet during a dogfight on February 27, a day after the Balakot airstrike. In the process, she flew over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and her MiG-21 was hit and had to exit the enemy-controlled area. After this the Pakistani army took him into custody.
Vir Chakra citation for Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhinandan Varthaman for shooting down a Pakistani F-16 on February 27, 2019. pic.twitter.com/ebwvLDmhIe
— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2021
Abhinandan part of 51 Squadron based in Srinagar ( abhinandan awarded the Vir Chakra)
International interference in the matter as well as widespread pressure from the Indian side forced the Pakistani army to release him. Abhinandan was part of the Srinagar-based 51 Squadron and flew on February 27, 2019 to thwart an airstrike launched by the Pakistanis. On February 26, India carried out air strikes on terrorist targets of Pakistan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area operated by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). (abhinandan awarded the Vir Chakra)
