Frequently Asked Questions (from the footnote of the blog-post)
Q 1. What was the confusion about the number of downed IAF pilots on the day of the shooting?
A1. The soldiers of two co-located Pak Army Units, near the place of the IAF pilot’s parachute landing, rushed to apprehend him. After his arrest, both Units reported to their higher formations, that a pilot had been captured. The higher formations in turn reported the same to GHQ, which understood the two reports to be independent, and hastily announced the capture of two pilots. The report was later retracted, but in the interim a lot of confusion prevailed.
Q2. The Indians claim that the missing rocket motor in the debris of one of the MiG-21 R-73 missiles (extreme right in picture) indicates that it may have been fired at the PAF F-16. The Indians claim that the missile’s Guidance and Control Unit was later retrieved from the ground by Pak Army, and then displayed with the rest of the missiles to give the impression that it was actually found in the MiG-21 wreckage. What do you have to say?
A2. A keen observer of the MiG-21 wreckage would note that the rocket motor of the missile in question (rectangle 2) is stuck on the missile launcher rail, as it did not get dislodged on impact with the ground. As such, all the missile parts could not be put together and displayed. The pictures below make it quite clear that all parts of the missile were available in the wreckage.
[Courtesy Michael Sheldon and Kanish Karan of DFRLab]
Q3. What were the Indian senior officers trying to prove by displaying a part of the AIM-120C during a press conference?
A3. The Indian senior officers were trying to bring it to the notice of Americans that PAF had employed the F-16s and AIM-120C missiles in contravention of the purchase agreement with them. The Indians were apparently under the impression that these missiles had been purchased at over $500,000 a piece only to shoot down non-existent Taliban fighter aircraft, and that their use against India was not fair play.
Q4. It was disclosed during the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press conference that F-16s were not employed in the conflict. What do you have to say about that?
A4. Please refer to Q/A6.
Q5. Why haven’t you disclosed the maximum range of the AIM-120C, as well as the ranges at which these missiles were fired? That would have made reconstruction of the air combat a lot more easier to understand.
A5. A simple answer is that I do not want to go to jail!
Q6. Since air combat is a highly technical subject, wouldn't it have been better to have a PAF fighter pilot alongside, during the ISPR press conferences pertaining to the conflict?
A6. I couldn't agree more on this point. I am reminded of the old adage, 'Fighter Pilots do it Better.'