IAF admits failure of Balakot airstrike plan
Pakistan Air Force has been consistently enhancing its air defence , the report stated.
MUMBAI (Dunya News) – In a recent report, Indian Air Force (IAF) has admitted that the so-called Balakot strike plan failed due to technical asymmetry.
The report reviewed different aspects of the air strike carried out on February 26 and the retaliation by Pakistan. The officials stated that if IAF had high quality technology then it would have heavily damaged Pakistani jets.
“Pakistan Air Force has been consistently enhancing its air defence and offensive capabilities since the Kargil war in 1999 and there was a need for India to bolster its technological asymmetry for aerial combat, official sources said sharing details from the report,” the report stated.
Pakistan has some edge with its fleet of F-16 jets with AMRAAM missile fitted with them, it added.
Also Read - The India, Pakistan crisis: What we know
On February 26, Indian Air Force aircrafts violated Line of Control (LoC) by intruding from Muzafarabad sector and released payload in haste while escaping as Pakistan Air Force took timely action.
On February 27, Pakistani jets flew across the Kashmir ceasefire line as a show of strength, hitting open spaces after locking on to military targets.
PAF downed two Indian jets, and detained one of their pilots Abhinandan. New Delhi confirmed the loss of one of its planes. India had demanded the "immediate and safe return" of the pilot.
The crisis had sparked alarm across the world, with major powers urging the two nuclear-armed rivals to act with restraint.
In order to de-escalate the increasing tension, the Pakistani authorities released Indian pilot as a goodwill gesture.
