New Delhi: The Mirage 2000 squadron that carried out the Balakot air strikes and the squadron of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be honoured by IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Air Force Day in Ghaziabad on October 8.
“Citations will be presented to the 51 Squadron of the IAF as also the 9 Squadron on the occasion of Air Force Day. Air Chief RKS Bhadauria will present the citations to the group commanding officers of the squadrons on Air Force Day,” a senior IAF official said.
The 601 Signal Unit that foiled Pakistan’s aerial attack on February 27 will also be presented with a citation.
The 51 Squadron, also known as Sword Arms or Falcon Slayers, is based at the Srinagar Air Force Station and comprises MiG 21 Bison fighter aircraft.
Wing Commander Abhinandan, who belongs to the 51 Squadron, shot down a Pakistani F-16 jet that had intruded into Indian borders on February 27.
During the dogfight, Abhinandan’s MiG 21 Bison was also shot. He was captured by the Pakistani forces only to be released a day later.
The 9 Squadron of the IAF, also known as Wolfpack, is based at the Gwalior Air Force Station and comprises Mirage 2000 fighter jets. Five Mirage 2000 fighter jets of the 9 Squadron had carried out the air strikes against a terror camp near Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, in a predawn aerial attack.
On Independence Day this year, Abhinandan was awarded with the gallantry medal Vir Chakra.
The five pilots who flew the Mirage 2000 over Balakot to carry out the aerial attack were conferred the Vayu Sena medals.
Squadron Leader Minty Agarwal of the IAF, who belongs to the 601 Signal Unit, was awarded with the Yudh Sewa Medal for controlling the fighter jets when Pakistan violated Indian airspace on February 27.
