Abhinandan receives Vir Chakra for shooting down Pakistani F-16 aircraft

Indian Air Force ace pilot Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman was accorded the Vir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind in an investiture ceremony on MondayHe has been accorded the Vir Chakra for shooting down a Pakistani F16 fighter aircraft during aerial combat on February 27 2019 a day after the Balakot airstrikeIn the process he flew over Pakistan occupied Kashmir and his MiG21 was hit and he had to eject over the territory controlled by the enemyHe was then taken into custody by the Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army was forced to release him due to the extensive pressure exerted by the Indian side along with international intervention into the matterAbhinandan on the posted strength of a MiG 21 Bison Squadron from May 19 2018 On February 27 2019 at around 9 am a large force of Pakistan Air Force fighter aircraft consisting of advanced fourthgeneration F16 and JF17 were detected heading toward the LoC At about 10 am Wing Commander now Group Captain Varthaman Abhinandan was scrambled to intercept this package the citation saidAlso read Indian Air Force promotes Balakot air strike hero Abhinandan Varthaman to Group Captain rankDisplaying exceptional air combat acumen and knowledge of the enemys tactics Wing Commander Varthaman Abhinandan scanned the low altitude airspace with his Airborne Intercept Al radar and picked up an enemy aircraft that was flying low to ambush the Indian fighterinterceptor aircraft Wing Commander Varthaman Abhinandan alerted the other formation pilots towards this surprise threat He then consolidated the riposte by gathering his wingman in an offensive formation against the hostile Pakistani aircraft now dropping weapons on Indian Army positions This audacious and aggressive maneuver forced the enemy aircraft into tactical chaos All the enemy aircraft thereafter turned back including the rear echelon aircraft who were yet to launch their air to ground weapons it saidWing Commander Varthaman Abhinandan then pursued a retreating enemy fighter bomber aircraft and in the ensuing aerial combat shot down an F16 aircraft with his onboard missile However in the melee one of the enemy aircraft fired multiple advanced BVR missiles one of which hit his aircraft forcing him to eject in enemy territory Despite being captured by the enemy he continued to display exceptional resolve in dealing with the adversary in a stoic brave and dignified manner till he was repatriated on March 1 2019 it saidHis actions raised the morale of the armed forces in general and the IAF in particular Wing Commander Varthaman Abhinandan showed conspicuous courage demonstrated gallantry in the face of the enemy while disregarding personal safety and displayed an exceptional sense of duty it addedIndia had launched an aerial strike on Pakistans terrorist facility in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area run by the JaisheMohammed JeM on February 26This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever