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NDTV
2 days ago
- General
- NDTV
British F-35's Recovery Reminds Of Daring Rescue Of Mirage 2000 Jet From Mauritius
New Delhi: The evacuation of a stranded British F-35B jet from Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday rekindled memories of a similar problem the Indian Air Force faced two decades ago - one of its Mirage-2000 jets was badly damaged and stuck in Mauritius for 22 days before a risky and audacious operation succeeded in flying it back to India. Incidentally, it also landed in Thiruvananthapuram. The little known mission to bring back the plane will go down in India's aviation history as one of the most celebrated demonstrations of piloting skills, courage and technical ingenuity of IAF engineers who made the aircraft airworthy in a short time after it had suffered extensive damage because of a belly landing in Mauritius. It also put the spotlight on the grit and planning skill of the pilot, Sqn Ldr Jaspreet Singh, who braved dangerous weather and conducted three mid-air refuellings to bring back the repaired Mirage. He flew non-stop for five hours and 10 minutes on October 26, 2004 over the desolate Indian Ocean, where any malfunction en route would have meant almost certain disaster. "I remember that day as clearly as if it was yesterday," Jaspreet, who took retirement from the IAF in 2018, told PTI. "I was confident of undertaking this risky flight across the ocean as I had full faith in the team of exceptional technical personnel who had worked non-stop over two weeks to repair the aircraft," he said. "Military aviation is all about taking calculated risks when the mission demands, preparing for all possible contingencies and having your backup plans in place," he said. The French-built Mirage-2000 had crash-landed on October 4 at the Sir Seewoosagur-Ramgoolam International Airport in Port Louis after taking part in an air show. The belly landing had damaged the aircraft extensively, especially the underbelly auxiliary fuel tanks, the airframe, avionics and cockpit instrumentation. On the other hand, the USD 110 million F-35B jet suffered a technical snag while on a maritime exercise in the Indian Ocean and had to make an emergency landing at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport on June 14. The jet was part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group of the British Royal Navy. A team of British engineers was flown in to fix the stealth fighter jet, and it finally took off for Darwin, Australia on Tuesday morning after almost 37 days. Similarly, a group of engineers, pilots and one IL-76 transport aircraft with spares and one IL-78 refuelling tanker aircraft flew from India to Port Louis, Mauritius to fix the Mirage and help bring it back. The rectification team made the aircraft ready for ground runs by October 13 and the Mirage did its first test flight on October 14, just 10 days after the landing accident. The team was faced with a task that had no precedence, given that Mirage-2000 is not cleared by the manufacturer Dassault to do a no-wheels landing, even in an emergency. Recalling the mission, an IAF officer said that Jaspreet, then posted with a fighter squadron in the Central sector, was specially chosen as the pilot to fly the aircraft back to India. The ferry route is over one of the most desolate stretches of the Indian Ocean and even for a fully serviceable single engine fighter it is considered a highly challenging task, said the officer. The fact that the ferry would also involve multiple air to air refuelling added to the overall degree of difficulty, he said. Once the aircraft had been repaired, Jaspreet carried out one taxi test and three air test sorties between October 12 and 19, during which multiple problems were revealed related to its fly-by-wire system, rudder, data display screen, throttle, brakes and fuel gauges. The 2126 nautical mile (nearly 4000 kilometer) flight to India was initially planned for October 20, but severe weather in the second half of the route, ruled out air-to-air refueling. "The inclement weather ensured that one Mirage 2000, one IL-78, one IL-76, and more than 50 IAF personnel were now stranded with the possibility that the wait could go on for weeks," said Jaspreet. However, on the morning of October 25, satellite pictures revealed that the first 1000 nautical miles (NM) of the flight route from Mauritius to TVM was clear, allowing three air to air refuelling. With the window of opportunity closing, Air Headquarters signed off for the ferry flight to take off on October 26, 2004. Jaspreet and the fighter took off at 7.55 am from a wet runway with very little fuel so as not to over stress the airframe. He entered the clouds almost immediately. But he had to ensure the first refuelling 11 minutes after take-off. There was zero margin for error. None was made. The Mirage refuelled in time and climbed safely to 25,000 feet. A second refuelling was also done successfully. Since refuelling was not possible in the final leg because of bad weather, the team came up with a plan: Jaspreet would top up fuel from the IL-78 while still 1100 NM short of Thiruvananthapuram and climb to a level above 40,000 feet to fly unaided the rest of the way. Flying at a higher altitude and optimum speed, the Mirage would consume less fuel. But it also meant flying the last 2 hours at 43,000 feet at 0.92 mach speed (or 0.92 per cent of the speed of sound). This was well beyond what the aircraft had been flight tested for. If the calculations were wrong or if a malfunction resulted in higher fuel consumption, the Mirage would have been in trouble. Explaining the feat, an expert said the single engine, single pilot Mirage jet undertook the transoceanic flight with no alternative airfields to land (in case of an emergency), travelling alone in a radar-less airspace with no direct radio contact with ground control and with bad weather which would have prevented any search and rescue operation over the ocean in case of an ejection. Along the way things were not smooth for Jaspreet. One of its radio sets failed, the fuel gauges gave incorrect indications and the oxygen almost finished in the cockpit. Yet the Mirage landed safely at Thiruvananthapuram at 2.50 pm. The next day, Jaspreet flew the Mirage to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited airfield in Bengaluru where it was fully repaired and returned to operational service almost four months later. Jaspreet was conferred the 'Vayu Sena' (Gallantry) medal by the President of India for his sincerity, exceptional courage and professionalism beyond the call of duty. "The ferry of Mirage-2000 across a stretch of 2126 nautical miles was one of the most challenging, daring and risky peacetime operations ever undertaken by a fighter aircraft in the history of the IAF," Singh's citation reads. Documenting the mission, an internal note of the IAF said: "Given the situation, not too many air forces in the world would have been bold enough to attempt this ferry. The IAF needs to be proud of this mission and the professionalism and courage shown by its personnel." PTI MPB VJ DV DV
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
British F-35's recovery puts spotlight on daring ferry of stranded IAF Mirage from Mauritius
NEW DELHI: The evacuation of a stranded British F-35B jet from Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday rekindled memories of a similar problem the Indian Air Force faced two decades ago - one of its Mirage-2000 jets was badly damaged and stuck in Mauritius for 22 days before a risky and audacious operation succeeded in flying it back to India. Incidentally, it also landed in Thiruvananthapuram. The little known mission to bring back the plane will go down in India's aviation history as one of the most celebrated demonstrations of piloting skills, courage and technical ingenuity of IAF engineers who made the aircraft airworthy in a short time after it had suffered extensive damage because of a belly landing in Mauritius. It also put the spotlight on the grit and planning skill of the pilot, Sqn Ldr Jaspreet Singh, who braved dangerous weather and conducted three mid-air refuellings to bring back the repaired Mirage. He flew non-stop for five hours and 10 minutes on October 26, 2004 over the desolate Indian Ocean, where any malfunction en route would have meant almost certain disaster. "I remember that day as clearly as if it was yesterday," Jaspreet, who took retirement from the IAF in 2018, told PTI. "I was confident of undertaking this risky flight across the ocean as I had full faith in the team of exceptional technical personnel who had worked non-stop over two weeks to repair the aircraft," he said. "Military aviation is all about taking calculated risks when the mission demands, preparing for all possible contingencies and having your backup plans in place," he said. The French-built Mirage-2000 had crash-landed on October 4 at the Sir Seewoosagur-Ramgoolam International Airport in Port Louis after taking part in an air show. The belly landing had damaged the aircraft extensively, especially the underbelly auxiliary fuel tanks, the airframe, avionics and cockpit instrumentation.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
British F-35's recovery puts spotlight on daring ferry of stranded IAF Mirage from Mauritius
The evacuation of a stranded British F-35B jet from Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday rekindled memories of a similar problem the Indian Air Force faced two decades ago - one of its Mirage-2000 jets was badly damaged and stuck in Mauritius for 22 days before a risky and audacious operation succeeded in flying it back to India. Incidentally, it also landed in Thiruvananthapuram. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category healthcare Public Policy others Operations Management Management Data Analytics Artificial Intelligence Product Management Cybersecurity Degree Technology Data Science MBA Design Thinking PGDM Healthcare MCA Project Management Data Science Leadership CXO Digital Marketing Finance Others Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIM Lucknow CERT-IIML Healthcare Management India Starts on undefined Get Details The little known mission to bring back the plane will go down in India's aviation history as one of the most celebrated demonstrations of piloting skills, courage and technical ingenuity of IAF engineers who made the aircraft airworthy in a short time after it had suffered extensive damage because of a belly landing in Mauritius. It also put the spotlight on the grit and planning skill of the pilot, Sqn Ldr Jaspreet Singh, who braved dangerous weather and conducted three mid-air refuellings to bring back the repaired Mirage . He flew non-stop for five hours and 10 minutes on October 26, 2004 over the desolate Indian Ocean, where any malfunction en route would have meant almost certain disaster. "I remember that day as clearly as if it was yesterday," Jaspreet, who took retirement from the IAF in 2018, told PTI. Live Events "I was confident of undertaking this risky flight across the ocean as I had full faith in the team of exceptional technical personnel who had worked non-stop over two weeks to repair the aircraft," he said. "Military aviation is all about taking calculated risks when the mission demands, preparing for all possible contingencies and having your backup plans in place," he said. The French-built Mirage-2000 had crash-landed on October 4 at the Sir Seewoosagur-Ramgoolam International Airport in Port Louis after taking part in an air show. The belly landing had damaged the aircraft extensively, especially the underbelly auxiliary fuel tanks, the airframe, avionics and cockpit instrumentation. On the other hand, the USD 110 million F-35B jet suffered a technical snag while on a maritime exercise in the Indian Ocean and had to make an emergency landing at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport on June 14. The jet was part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group of the British Royal Navy . A team of British engineers was flown in to fix the stealth fighter jet, and it finally took off for Darwin , Australia on Tuesday morning after almost 37 days. Similarly, a group of engineers, pilots and one IL-76 transport aircraft with spares and one IL-78 refuelling tanker aircraft flew from India to Port Louis, Mauritius to fix the Mirage and help bring it back. The rectification team made the aircraft ready for ground runs by October 13 and the Mirage did its first test flight on October 14, just 10 days after the landing accident. The team was faced with a task that had no precedence, given that Mirage-2000 is not cleared by the manufacturer Dassault to do a no-wheels landing, even in an emergency. Recalling the mission, an IAF officer said that Jaspreet, then posted with a fighter squadron in the Central sector, was specially chosen as the pilot to fly the aircraft back to India. The ferry route is over one of the most desolate stretches of the Indian Ocean and even for a fully serviceable single engine fighter it is considered a highly challenging task, said the officer. The fact that the ferry would also involve multiple air to air refuelling added to the overall degree of difficulty, he said. Once the aircraft had been repaired, Jaspreet carried out one taxi test and three air test sorties between October 12 and 19, during which multiple problems were revealed related to its fly-by-wire system, rudder, data display screen, throttle , brakes and fuel gauges. The 2126 nautical mile (nearly 4000 kilometer) flight to India was initially planned for October 20, but severe weather in the second half of the route, ruled out air-to-air refueling. "The inclement weather ensured that one Mirage 2000, one IL-78, one IL-76, and more than 50 IAF personnel were now stranded with the possibility that the wait could go on for weeks," said Jaspreet. However, on the morning of October 25, satellite pictures revealed that the first 1000 nautical miles (NM) of the flight route from Mauritius to TVM was clear, allowing three air to air refuelling. With the window of opportunity closing, Air Headquarters signed off for the ferry flight to take off on October 26, 2004. Jaspreet and the fighter took off at 7.55 am from a wet runway with very little fuel so as not to over stress the airframe. He entered the clouds almost immediately. But he had to ensure the first refuelling 11 minutes after take-off. There was zero margin for error. None was made. The Mirage refuelled in time and climbed safely to 25,000 feet. A second refuelling was also done successfully. Since refuelling was not possible in the final leg because of bad weather, the team came up with a plan: Jaspreet would top up fuel from the IL-78 while still 1100 NM short of Thiruvananthapuram and climb to a level above 40,000 feet to fly unaided the rest of the way. Flying at a higher altitude and optimum speed, the Mirage would consume less fuel. But it also meant flying the last 2 hours at 43,000 feet at 0.92 mach speed (or 0.92 per cent of the speed of sound). This was well beyond what the aircraft had been flight tested for. If the calculations were wrong or if a malfunction resulted in higher fuel consumption, the Mirage would have been in trouble. Explaining the feat, an expert said the single engine, single pilot Mirage jet undertook the transoceanic flight with no alternative airfields to land (in case of an emergency), travelling alone in a radar-less airspace with no direct radio contact with ground control and with bad weather which would have prevented any search and rescue operation over the ocean in case of an ejection. Along the way things were not smooth for Jaspreet. One of its radio sets failed, the fuel gauges gave incorrect indications and the oxygen almost finished in the cockpit. Yet the Mirage landed safely at Thiruvananthapuram at 2.50 pm. The next day, Jaspreet flew the Mirage to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited airfield in Bengaluru where it was fully repaired and returned to operational service almost four months later. Jaspreet was conferred the 'Vayu Sena' (Gallantry) medal by the President of India for his sincerity, exceptional courage and professionalism beyond the call of duty. "The ferry of Mirage-2000 across a stretch of 2126 nautical miles was one of the most challenging, daring and risky peacetime operations ever undertaken by a fighter aircraft in the history of the IAF," Singh's citation reads. Documenting the mission, an internal note of the IAF said: "Given the situation, not too many air forces in the world would have been bold enough to attempt this ferry. The IAF needs to be proud of this mission and the professionalism and courage shown by its personnel."
Express Tribune
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Decoding defeat: Five times Indian military officials admitted losses against Pakistan
The conflict between Pakistan and India in May 2025 marked a major military escalation between the two nuclear powers. Following the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which killed 26 tourists, New Delhi immediately blamed Islamabad without providing any evidence. It also took a raft of major diplomatic measures to downgrade its ties with Pakistan. Islamabad denied the allegations and offered an impartial probe into the incident. On the night of May 7, the Indian Air Force launched an unprovoked attack on civilian targets in Pakistan. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) immediately retaliated and shot down at least six IAF jets, including three French-built Rafales. On the night of 9–10 May, India launched another round of strikes against Pakistan, but this time targeted military sites. In retaliation, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, striking back at Indian military installations, including missile storage sites, airbases and other strategic targets. On May 10, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached following intense diplomatic efforts overnight. Read: French intelligence official confirms downing of Rafale by Pakistan While the Indian political leadership has consistently denied losses, a series of remarks from senior Indian defence officials over recent weeks suggest that the Indian Air Force (IAF) did suffer losses, and potentially more than previously acknowledged. It also shows that the political and military leadership are not on the same page and are at a loss on how to form a new narrative. Air Marshal AK Bharti The first official hint came on May 11, when Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, responded to a journalist's question at a press briefing on Operation Sindoor. He said, 'Losses are a part of combat… All our pilots are back home.' Though he did not confirm the number or type of aircraft lost, it marked the first public admission of any kind regarding IAF losses. General Anil Chauhan On May 31, General Anil Chauhan, India's Chief of Defence Staff, made a more pointed remark during an interview with Bloomberg Television at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. India's military confirmed for the first time that it lost an unspecified number of fighter jets in clashes with Pakistan in May. Anil Chauhan, chief of defense staff of the Indian Armed Forces, spoke to Bloomberg TV on Saturday, while attending the Shangri-La Dialogue in… — Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) May 31, 2025 Dismissing reports that six Indian jets had been downed, he remarked, 'What is important is not the jet being down, but why they were being down… That is more important for us. And what did we do after that.' General Chauhan also acknowledged that the IAF was "handicapped" in its flying operations for the next two days — a significant revelation from India's top military official. Captain (IN) Shiv Kumar A third and particularly candid admission came on June 10 from Captain (IN) Shiv Kumar, India's Defence Attaché to Indonesia, while speaking at a university seminar titled 'Analysis of the Pakistan–India Air Battle and Indonesia's Anticipatory Strategies from the Perspective of Air Power', hosted by Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma in Jakarta. 'IAF Lost Fighter Jets to Pak Because of Political Leadership's Constraints': Indian Defence Attachehttps:// — The Wire (@thewire_in) June 29, 2025 'I may not agree that we lost so many aircraft, but I do agree we did lose some aircraft… The Indian Air Force lost fighter jets to Pakistan on the night of May 7, 2025, only because of the constraint given by the political leadership to not attack the military establishment or their air defences,' he said. Read more: India again admits jet losses in Pakistan clash, citing political limits Captain Kumar's statement was notable not only for confirming the IAF's losses but also for attributing them directly to political limitations imposed by New Delhi — an implication that contradicts official claims that the armed forces were given full operational freedom during the conflict. Defence Secretary RK Singh On July 8, Defence Secretary RK Singh added to the growing list of official acknowledgements in an interview with CNBC-TV18. Responding to speculation about the loss of multiple Rafale aircraft, he said, 'You have used the term Rafales in the plural, I can assure you that is absolutely not correct.' While aimed at denying the scale of losses claimed by Pakistan, Singh's remark effectively confirmed that at least one Rafale may have been downed — again, without disclosing numbers. Lt General Rahul Singh Further confirmation came from Indian Deputy Army Chief Lt General Rahul Singh, who, two months after the fighting ended, acknowledged India's military defeat in the operation. Also read: Pakistan had real-time knowledge of Indian jets during Operation Sindoor: security experts Though his remarks included accusations that Pakistan's success was backed by foreign support from China and Turkey, regional analysts and security experts have dismissed these claims, asserting that Pakistan's gains were achieved independently. 'Pakistan's security forces were fully aware of Indian fighter jet movements in real-time… We have been preparing for decades to counter India,' security experts said, adding that the victory was the result of professionalism, strategy, and training, not external assistance. Taken together, these statements paint a picture of guarded admissions by Indian officials, revealing more through what was left unsaid than what was openly confirmed.
Express Tribune
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
India again admits jet losses in Pakistan clash
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down at least six Indian fighter jets, including three French-built Rafales. PHOTO WIKIMEDIA COMMONS An Indian defence official has admitted that the country's air force did "lose some aircraft" on the night of May 7 when they launched an unprovoked attack on civilian sites in Pakistan during the recent 86-hour war between the two nuclear powers. Captain Shiv Kumar, an Indian defence attache, made the statement while speaking at a seminar, 'Analysis of the Pakistan — India Air Battle and Indonesia's Anticipatory Strategies from the Perspective of Air Power' organised by Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma in Indonesia, reported Indian media. Kumar blamed the losses suffered by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on the constraints imposed by the political leadership in New Delhi. He claimed that the Indian aircraft were under orders not to attack Pakistan military assets, to avoid an escalation. Earlier, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan confirmed the loss fighter jets during the May clashes with Pakistan, marking the first official acknowledgment of air losses in the ongoing conflict. He disclosed the information in an interview with Bloomberg Television, during the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. However, he denied Pakistan's tally of six Indian jets being shot down, choosing not to specify the exact number of aircraft lost. "What is important is not the jet being down, but why they were being down," Chauhan said. "Numbers are not important." On May 30, Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy admitted that Pakistan downed five Indian fighter jets, including Rafale aircraft. However, the military circles of India are always tight-lipped about the numbers of fighter jets loss by PAF.
