SOURCE: AFI
In a recent interview with Sputnik India, Air Marshal RGK Kapoor (Retd.), the Indian Air Force (IAF) spokesperson during the 2019 Balakot airstrike, reaffirmed India’s claim of shooting down a Pakistani F-16 during the aerial skirmish that followed. Kapoor’s statement, “The weapons went where they were supposed to go, and even if Pakistan doesn’t accept it, the F-16 was shot down,” underscores the IAF’s confidence in its account of the February 27, 2019, dogfight over the Line of Control (LoC).
The Balakot airstrike, conducted on February 26, 2019, saw IAF Mirage 2000 jets target a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist training camp in Balakot, Pakistan, in retaliation for the Pulwama attack that killed 40 Indian CRPF personnel. The strike escalated tensions, leading to a Pakistani counterstrike the following day. On February 27, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) attempted to target Indian military installations, prompting a swift response from the IAF.
During the ensuing aerial engagement, India claimed that a PAF F-16 was shot down by an IAF MiG-21 Bison, piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who himself was shot down and captured after ejecting over Pakistani territory. Pakistan denied the loss of an F-16, asserting that none were involved in the operation. However, Kapoor revealed that the PAF’s initial denial was contradicted by evidence presented by India—specifically, fragments of a burned AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, which self-destructed after being fired from its maximum range (D-Max) against an IAF Su-30MKI.
The AIM-120 AMRAAM is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile exclusively used by F-16 jets in the PAF’s inventory at the time. The IAF showcased the missile debris during a press conference in 2019, effectively challenging Pakistan’s narrative. Kapoor’s recent comments highlight the significance of this evidence, noting that it forced the PAF to backtrack on its earlier claim that F-16s were not part of the strike package. “The AMRAAM debris was undeniable proof,” Kapoor told Sputnik India, reinforcing India’s position that the F-16 was indeed involved and subsequently downed.
Pakistan, however, has maintained that only two aircraft were involved in the skirmish—both IAF jets, one of which was Varthaman’s MiG-21. The PAF claimed to have used JF-17 Thunder jets, co-developed with China, and denied losing any aircraft. Independent analyses, including reports from international outlets like Foreign Policy in April 2019, later suggested that Pakistan’s F-16 count may have been off by one, lending credence to India’s claims, though definitive proof remains contested.
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