New Delhi: Captain of the Abhinandan Group Varthaman, who shot down at Pakistan’s feet during Dogfight after Balaakot air strikes in 2019, was given a VIR chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind at the investment ceremony on Monday.
Indian pre-Dawn air strike at the Jaish-e-Muhammed (JEM) facility in Balaakot on February 26, 2019 has led to the air battle a day later after the Pakistani Air Force launched a counter-attack with a fourth strike package -Generated F-16 and JF -17 fighters, among others, to bomb the Indian military target throughout the control path.
Varthaman, then a wing commander, is one of the fighter pilots who rushed from Srinagar’s airbase to intercept a reasonable jet.
The effort was thwarted by IAF but Mig-21 Varthaman was shot down after he fell F-16.
He was captured in Pakistan for three days before being sent home.
“Varthaman shows striking courage, shows the galantry in the face of the enemy while ignoring personal salvation and shows a sense of extraordinary task,” said Virt Chakra.