IAF admits BrahMos accidental firing blunder
In a disclosure made to the Delhi High Court, the Indian Air Force
(IAF) has revealed that the accidental firing of a BrahMos supersonic missile,
which landed in Pakistan in March 2022, not only incurred a financial loss of
25 crore rupees to the state but also tarnished its reputation.
The misfire resulted from combat connectors remaining attached to
the junction box, the IAF informed the court on Friday, as reported by The
Economic Times.
Following the incident, Islamabad promptly lodged a protest with
New Delhi.
Pakistan
accuses India of violating agreement regarding missile tests
The IAF's reply emphasized that despite knowledge of the combat
connectors' connection to the junction box, the combat crew failed to
intervene, allowing the Mobile Autonomous Launcher commander to launch the
Combat Missile, posing a potential threat to neighboring nations and affecting
India-Pakistan relations.
A Court of Inquiry (CoI), convened by the IAF shortly after the
incident, examined 16 witnesses and held Group Captain Saurabh Gupta, Squadron
Leader Pranjal Singh, and Wing Commander Abhinav Sharma—all members of the
Combat Team—responsible for various oversights leading to the missile firing.
Pakistan
conducts test flight of Fatah-II missile with a range of 400 kilometers
The IAF's response to Wing Commander Sharma's petition refuted his
accusations against Air Commodore JT Kurien, dismissing them as baseless and
lacking evidence.
Additionally, the IAF rejected Sharma's claim that he was unable
to prevent the missile firing, dismissing it as unsubstantiated conjecture.
Source: The News