Questions about the deployment of MiG-21 Bisons against Pakistan’s advanced F-16s during the 2019 Balakot dogfight resurfaced recently. Former IAF chief BS Dhanoa clarified in a discussion on The Lallantop that the decision was driven by operational realities.
According to Dhanoa, the MiG-21s were the only aircraft available in Srinagar at the time. Su-30s could not operate in the dogfight area due to terrain constraints, and upgraded Mirage 2000s were limited. While the MiG-21 Bison is a modernised version of the older MiG-21bis, Dhanoa acknowledged that more advanced jets, such as Rafales, would have changed the engagement’s outcome.
During the Balakot incident, Pakistani F-16s were intercepted following India’s airstrike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp, leading to a dogfight in which an F-16 was shot down, and Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s MiG-21 Bison was lost, with the pilot captured and later released. Dhanoa emphasised that the IAF fought with available resources under urgent circumstances.
ଆମେରିକା ଓ ଇରାନ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ତଣାତଣି ଉଚ୍ଚ ସ୍ତରରେ ପହଞ୍ଚିଥିବ...
ନେପାଳ-ଭାରତ ସୀମା ଅଞ୍ଚଳରୁ ଏକ ଭାଇରାଲ୍ ଭିଡିଓ ଲୋକମାନଙ୍କ...
ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ଯାତାୟାତ ଓ ଖଣି ଢାଞ୍ଚାକୁ ମଜବୁତ କରିବା ଦିଗରେ କ...
ଆମେରିକାର ପୂର୍ବତନ ରାଷ୍ଟ୍ରପତି Donald Trump ଇରାନ ସହ ସ...
ପୁରୀ ଜିଲ୍ଲାର ବାଳଙ୍ଗା ଥାନା ଅଧୀନ ମାଳସାହି ମେଳନ ମାଠରେ...
ହର୍ମୁଜ୍ ସ୍ଟ୍ରେଟ୍ରେ ବୁଧବାର ଅନ୍ୟୁନ ତିନୋଟି ଜାହାଜ ଉପରେ...
ସାଇବର ଅପରାଧ ଉପରେ ବଡ଼ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟବାହୀ କରି ପୋଲିସ ଏକ ନକଲି...
ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ବ୍ରହ୍ମପୁର ରେଳଷ୍ଟେସନରେ ଏକ ସାହସିକ ଉଦ୍ଧାର ଘଟଣ...