MiG-21 brought down PAF F-16, reiterates IAF

IAF's Assistant Chief of Air Staff reiterated their stand that its MiG-21 brought down Pakistan's PAF F-16. The Air Force put forth radio transmission intercepts and electronic signatures as proof of the incident.

New Delhi: Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday reiterated that Pakistan Air Force (PAF)'s jet F-16 was shot down by their MiG-21 on February 27.

The IAF said that radio transmission intercepts and electronic signatures indicated the involvement of F-16.

"The IAF has confirmed sighting ejections at two different places on Feb 27. The two sightings were at places separated by at least 8-10 km. One was an IAF's MiG-21 Bison and the other a PAF jet. Electronic signatures gathered by us indicate that the PAF aircraft was an F-16," IAF Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operations and Space) Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said.

Rejecting media reports published in the US about no F-16 plane missing from PAF's inventory, the IAF said that Pak F-16 fighter went missing after it was shot down by IAF's MiG 21 Bison fighter.

"IAF deployed Su30-MKI, Mirage-2000 and MiG-21 Bison guided by ground radars and AWACS. All attempts of PAF to attack any targets were thwarted by the IAF. During the aerial engagement that followed, one MiG 21 Bison of the IAF shot down one F-16 in Nowshera sector," said AVM Kapoor.

Debris of Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) which is exclusively fitted on F-16 fighter jets fell on the Indian side and was cited as evidence by the IAF after the shooting down of F-16.