Srinagar: On the first anniversary of the Balakot air strikes, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria flew a five aircraft mission at Srinagar Air Base along with aircrew from squadrons that had participated in the cross-border operations on February 26 and 27 last year.
The CAS flew a MiG-21 Type 69 aircraft along with the Commanding Officer of 51 Sqn, Gp Capt Kamran Nazeerin in a formation comprising one MiG-21, two Mirage-2000s and two Sukhoi-30 MKIs.
The Indian Air Force jets had on February 26 last year crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to strike JeM terror camps in Balakot in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
An official statement said that February 26, 2019 was a momentous day as it bore testimony to the professionalism and operational preparedness of men and women of the Indian Air Force who successfully executed a very complex mission and achieved their objectives under extremely challenging conditions.
“On this day, the IAF salutes the spirit, tenacity and sacrifice of its brave air warriors and assure the nation of its unstinted resolve. The IAF stands shoulder to shoulder with other defence services in discharge of its sacred duty of defending the nation’s sovereignty and integrity,” an IAF statement said.
IANS
