U.S has to protect to its own reputation: ORF Research Director

ORF Research Director stated that United States response to India's claim of shooting down Pakistan's F-16, is based on the fact that it has to protect its own reputation. United States is the one of the leading defence supplier in the world.

New Delhi: Observer Research Foundation's research director Harsh V Pant on Friday, responded to US media reports discarding India's claim on shooting down Pakistan's F-16, stating that the United States has to protect its own reputation.

Recently, a prominent American magazine report contradicted India's claim of shooting down a Pakistani F-16 on February 27th.

Speaking exclusively to ETV Bharat, Harsh V Pant claimed that America's own technological superiority is at stake here and for which they will protect their reputation.

"The United States supplies defence apparatus across the world and I think they would like to protect that market for themselves," he said.

The American magazine in its report claimed that United States officials have counted all F-16s given to Pakistan present in its fleet. This report raised suspicion over Indian claim of shooting down F-16 by MiG-21 Bison in dual air combat on Feb 27th.

Rubbishing U.S magazine's claim, top government official also said that the US will never accept that an F-16 was shot down by a vintage MiG-21 Bison.