Secret to Pakistan aircraft losses in Op Sindoor could lie in Martin-Baker's ejection seats records
Whenever a pilot using Martin-Baker seats ejects safely, they update the numbers. They post when pilots make a successful ejection, but not when a fighter has crashed or the pilots ejected, but unsuccessfully.
New Delhi: On 7 May this year, as India and Pakistan entered into what was to be an 88-hour conflict, British firm Martin-Baker, which manufactures ejection seats for top fighters around the world, posted on social media that they had saved 7,789 lives in all until then.
On 16 April, the company posted, 'Yesterday, a Pakistan Air Force Mirage V ROSE aircraft crashed near Ratta Tibba, Vehari. Both pilots successfully ejected using the Martin-Baker PRM4 seat.' The post said 7,784 lives had been saved until that date.
On 7 May, Martin-Baker posted on X saying, 'Yesterday, a USN F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-11 crashed into the Red Sea after a failed arrestment occurred during a night landing on the USS Harry S. Truman. Both air crew successfully ejected using the Martin-Baker US14A (NACES) Seat.'
They updated the total lives saved figure to 7,788.
They posted another crash detail as well on 7 May, saying: 'Earlier today a Finnish Defence Force (FDF) F/A-18C Hornet crashed while practising for an air show near Rovaniemi in Lapland. The pilot successfully ejected using the Martin-baker SF-14A (NACES) Seat,' which took the total lives saved to 7,789.
But this updated figure does not account for 7,785 and 7,786. So, details of at least one crash if not two were missing between 16 April and 7 May involving two pilots.
The next update from Martin-Baker came on 31 July, announcing the saving of 7,793 lives in total.
'Yesterday, an A-29A Super Tucano was involved in a midair collision over Porto Ferreira. The pilot successfully ejected using the Martin-Baker BR10LCX Ejection Seat,' the post read.
The only crash the IAF has had after 7 May was a Jaguar on a training sortie, when both pilots unfortunately could not eject and died.
The answer to the puzzle of the missing details surrounding the three lives (7,790, 7791, 7792) saved by Martin Baker ejection seats could be in what IAF chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Siingh said Saturday.
He said that India's S-400 Triumf air defence system had shot down Pakistan's 5 fighter aircraft.
The Pakistani fighter jets using Martin-Baker seats in the 88-hour conflict were the JF-17 and F-16s. The J-10s use Chinese-made ejection seats.
A correlation between Martin-Baker's posts and what the IAF chief said indicates that at least three Pakistani pilots managed to eject despite their aircraft being shot down, indicating confirmation of the IAF chief's statement.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: IAF chief breaks silence on Op Sindoor—6 Pakistani aircraft shot down by S-400, many destroyed on ground
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