Trouble in the Skies

Rohan Ramesh | Bengaluru

As the controversy over the Rafale deal rages on, the Indian Air Force (IAF) continues to be the victim. With squadron levels touching an all time low of 30, the IAF is walking a tight rope. The Rafale deal is just an immediate short-term fix for the situation.

IL-78 FRA’s refuelling the Su-30MKI

And that is not all. The punitive air strike at Balakot and the subsequent retaliation by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) showed gaping holes in India’s air defence structure. The retaliation by the PAF saw the IAF lose a MiG-21 Bison whose pilot was taken as Prisoner of War (POW) by Pakistan and released after nearly 60 hours in custody.

The IAF also claims that it managed to shoot down a PAF F-16 fighter jet. Yet, there is no circumstantial evidence to show that this actually happened. The IAF has released its own ‘proof’ in the form of radar images which show the F-16 was shot down while Pakistan vehemently denies it.

The US too is tight-lipped about the whole situation. According to the Indian Express, “The United States government has declined to share with India information on the use of F-16 fighter jets by the Pakistan Air Force during a recent dogfight.”

“Soon after we were informed by the Indian side about Pakistan using F-16 aircraft on February 27, we informed the Indians that we will not be sharing any information on the subject as it is a bilateral matter between the US and Pakistan,” a US official informed the Indian Express.

The newspaper further reported that India understood the US position, which was not India or Pakistan-specific. “If a third country tomorrow wants information about the C130 or C17 or Apaches that the IAF uses, our answer would be the same. It is a bilateral matter between India and the US,” the official added.

This brings us to the question of was it actually shot down? May be y