Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after IAF’s MiG-21 Bison was shot down when it was chasing PAF’s F-16 jet out of Indian territory and Pakistan captured its pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman

New Delhi: The past one week saw tensions between India and Pakistan flare up after the Indian Air Force (IAF) destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) camps in Pakistan’s Balakot and in response, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) made a failed attempt to breach Indian airspace and target military installations. The situation was aggravated after IAF’s MiG 21 Bison was shot down when it was chasing PAF’s F-16 jet out of Indian territory and Pakistan captured its pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman.

Pakistan’s attempt to violate the Indian airspace was thwarted by Indian Air Force (IAF) on the morning of February 27, just a day after the Balakot bombing. The IAF successfully chased out the PAF jets and its MiG-21 Bison also managed to hit an F-16 jet of the PAF and bring it down. However, IAF lost the MiG-21 jet in the engagement.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who had shot down PAF’s F-16 jet before being shot down himself, spent nearly 60 hours in Pakistan’s custody. After India demanded a “safe and immediate” return of the IAF pilot, Pakistan released him on Friday evening as a “peace gesture”.

Here’s what happened on the day when PAF jets were chased out by IAF planes – Minute by minute details:

9:52 AM – Ten F-16 jets take off from three Airbases in Pakistan, which is detected by Indian NETRA and Northern Air Command. The F-16 jets come in three groups and merge in attack formation near Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

9:54 AM – In order to intercept the 10 F-16 jets from Pakistan, India scrambles two MiG-21 Bisons jets and four Sukhoi MKi jets.

9: 58 AM – First alert is sounded by India to Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter jets, warning them that they are about to encroach Indian airspace and asks them to “evade”.

9: 59 AM – Second alert is sounded by India to PAF with IFAC protocols. Pakistan Air Force does not respond.

10:00 AM – Pakistan’s 10 F-16 jets violate Indian airspace in swarm merge attack formation (which is tactical in nature).

10:01 AM – A heavy surface-to-air ground artillery and a valiant fight from India’s Sukhoi and MiG fighter jets forces nine F-16 jets to deviate path. Within 1 kilometre of airspace, the nine PAF jets return to PoK.

10:02 AM - One Pakistani F-16 jet enters deep inside the Indian territory and covers nearly 3 kms to possibly destroy an oil storage at an Army Brigade HQ.

10:03 AM – One MiG 21 Bison (flown by Wing Commander Abhinandan Vardhaman) and one IAF Sukhoi continue to engage the F16 in a dogfight manoeuvre called “Defensive split”. While the MiG 21 was in the front, the F-16 was in the middle and was followed by the Sukhoi. Firing from Sukoi prompted the F-16 to flee the scene using a dog fight manoeuvre caller ‘wingover’.

10:04 AM – The Sukhoi jet stays back and hovers around the oil storage at the Army Brigade HQ to protect it. Meanwhile, the MiG-21 Bison, being flown by Wg Cdr Abhinandan, chases F-16 jet out of Indian territory. While chasing the PAF jet, Abhinandan engages the F-16 in a lock-in position for his onboard R-73 air to air missile to be deployed.

It is to be noted here that Abhinandan could have returned to base at this point. However, by doing so, the missile lock-in would have disengaged (due to out of radar coverage) and he would not have been able to shoot the F-16 down. Hence, the brave pilot decided to chase it down to PoK and shoot it.

10:08 AM – IAF pilot Abhinandan engages his R73 missile that hits the F-16 and brings it down.

10:08 AM – After shooting down the PAF jet, the Wing Commander performs a highly dangerous manoeuvre called “High-g barrel roll”. The IAF pilot had to do this as he had been in the vicinity of PoK surface to air artillery and surface-to-air missile (SAM). The move requires him to vertically climb the jet at high speed and reverse its direction towards India. While he was performing the move, either a SAM or air artillery hit his plane, bringing it down.

Initial photos of the brave pilot showed that he suffered injuries on his face and was reportedly attacked by a few Pakistani locals as well. the Pakistani Army later released a video in which the IAF pilot could be seen sipping tea and saying that he was treated well.

However, upon his return to India, the Wing Commander is said to have informed that though he was not physically tortured by the Pakistani authorities, he underwent a “lot of mental harassment” in Pakistan’s captivity.

Pakistan’s bid to violate Indian air space came a day after IAF destroyed a Jaish terror camp inside Pakistan’s territory. On February 26, 12 Mirage 2000 jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crossed the LoC and pummelled one of the biggest training camps of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, killing several terrorists.

The Balakot bombing was in response to the dastardly attack in Pulwama when a CRPF convoy was attacked by a JeM operative who rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a bus plying CRPF soldiers on February 14. At least 40 CRPF Jawans were killed in one of the deadliest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in recent times.

Following the Pulwama attack, the top leadership of the government, including PM Narendra Modi, and the security forces had pledged that the Indian forces would give a befitting reply to the cowardly Pulwama attack.