Wing Commander Abhinandan's, Mirage 2000 Squadrons To Be Honoured By IAF

Defence officials said on Saturday that IAF chief Bhadauria will present citations to both squadrons on the occasion of Air Force Day.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. (File Photo | PTI)

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force will be honouring the squadron of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, and Mirage 2000 squadron which carried out strikes on Pakistan based terror camps in Balakot. They will be honoured by IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Air Force Day in Ghaziabad on October 8. Defence officials said on Saturday that IAF chief Bhadauria will present citations to both squadrons on the occasion of Air Force Day. The 601 Signal Unit that foiled Pakistan's aerial attack on February 27 will also be presented with a citation. "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 was quoted as saying by news agency IANS. The 51 Squadron, to which Wing Commander Abhinandan belongs, also known as 'Sword Arms' or 'Falcon Slayers', is based at the Srinagar Air Force Station and comprises MiG 21 Bison fighter aircrafts. Abhinandan,  had shot down a Pakistani F-16 jet that had intruded into the Indian borders on February 27. During the dogfight, Abhinandan's MiG 21 Bison had also been shot. He had been captured by the Pakistani forces only to be released a day later. 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 had been conferred the Vayu Sena medals.