Latest news with #MiG-23
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
India-Pakistan conflict: Ready to return to combat if required, says Telangana minister Uttam Reddy
HYDERABAD: Telangana minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, a former Indian Air Force pilot , has expressed his readiness to return to combat duty if the nation ever calls upon him again. In an informal interaction with reporters at Gandhi Bhavan here, the irrigation and civil supplies minister reflected on his military background and commented on the ongoing conflict between India and shared that he joined the armed forces at the age of 16 and was flying MiG-21s by 1982. He later piloted the MiG-23. 'I was just 20 and already a fighter pilot,' he said, as quoted in a the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Reddy said it was backed by Pakistan and strongly condemned the violence, particularly killings carried out in the name of religion."India had every reason to hit back," he said, backing the country's military about 'Operation Sindoor', Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that Rafale jets and Kamikaze drones were deployed from within Indian territory as part of the strong responses are crucial if India ever hopes to achieve a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue. "Personally, I believe the Kashmir conflict won't truly end until India takes back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir," he if it comes down to war, Uttam Kumar Reddy said: "If there's a full-scale conflict and I'm needed - I'll fight again."
India.com
09-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
India-Pakistan Tensions: Did you know Pakistan once shot down its own F-16 fighter jet? Read the story behind the Pakistani pilots' act of ‘foolishness'
New Delhi: The tensions between India and Pakistan are rising with every passing day. The government on Friday said that Pakistan military likely used Turkish drones in that attack on Indian cities on May 8. While addressing the media, the government said that preliminary forensic analysis of debris recovered from downed drones suggests they were Turkish-made 'Asisguard Songar' models, commonly deployed for surveillance and precision strikes. In the midst of this, we bring you an interesting story from history — a time when Pakistan shot down its own F-16 fighter jet. Considered to be one of the world's most advanced multirole fighter jets, the F-16 was used to shoot down a fellow aircraft — a blunder that can only be described as a strategic embarrassment. This is exactly what the Pakistan Air Force did. It was in the yaer 1987 when this incident took place, when Pakistan's F-16s shot down another F-16 mid-air. This happened during a time when the Soviet Union was waging war in Afghanistan. Clashes between Soviet aircraft and the Pakistan Air Force often occurred near the Pakistani border. The Afghan Air Force was backed by the Soviet Union, while Pakistan's Air Force, at the behest of the United States, was fighting against Soviet forces in the region. Afghan Air Force Against the Soviet Union Two F-16 jets from Pakistan Air Force's 14th Squadron were ordered to intercept four Russian MiG-23 aircraft that were on a bombing mission in Afghanistan. As the Pakistani F-16s climbed from low altitude to engage the MiG-23 formation, a critical mistake occurred. One Pakistani pilot mistook the other F-16 as an enemy aircraft. The operation was led by Wing Commander Amjad Javed, while the second F-16 was being flown by a pilot named Flight Lieutenant Shahid Sikandar. During the attack, an AIM-9P Sidewinder missile fired from Amjad Javed's aircraft struck the right wing of Shahid Sikandar's F-16 instead of targeting a MiG-23. 'Although pilot Shahid Sikandar managed to save his life in time by activating the ejection seat right after the missile struck the F-16, the aircraft was reduced to debris. The most shocking aspect was that, at the time, the F-16 was considered the world's most advanced fighter jet, equipped with state-of-the-art systems. This system identifies targets using an electronic beam and confirms before launching a missile whether the approaching aircraft is an enemy or a friend. Immediately after the incident, the Afghan Air Force claimed it had shot down the Pakistani F-16. However, when the wreckage was examined, it was discovered that the crash occurred due to the pilot's foolish mistake. The investigation revealed that the jet's sensor, which distinguishes between friendly and enemy aircraft, had failed to function. But Pentagon officials remained skeptical of this theory for a long time
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Will join combat if reserved forces are called upon: Uttam
Former Indian Air Force fighter pilot turned politician and now Irrigation & Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has declared that he is ready to return to combat if the country ever needed the services of the reserved forces. A fighter pilot, who once flew MiG-23s, spoke candidly on Friday about his IAF sting and referred to the current tensions between India and Pakistan. Speaking to reporters at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday, Mr. Uttam recalled having joined the armed forces at the age of 16 years and by 1982 he was flying MiG-21s, and later got behind the controls of the MiG-23 — a jet so fast it could hit speeds more than twice the speed of sound. 'I was just 20, already a fighter pilot,' he said referring to his postings in Air Stations in Uttar Pradesh, Srinagar, and Amritsar — areas that have long been on the edge when it comes to national security. He termed the April 22 incident a terror attack backed by Pakistan and slammed the killings, especially those carried out in the name of religion. 'India had every reason to hit back,' he said, referring to the recent military response. Mr. Uttam also touched on Operation Sindoor, claiming Rafale jets and Kamikaze drones were deployed from within Indian territory as part of the mission. He argued that such strong responses are crucial if India ever hopes to achieve a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue. 'Personally, I believe the Kashmir conflict won't truly end until India takes back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,' he said without hesitation. According to Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy, the assault on Jammu left India no choice but to respond — and any continued aggression from across the border could spell disaster for Pakistan. 'No other nation is going to step in with military support,' he noted. And if it comes down to war? Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy's message was clear: 'If there's a full-scale conflict and I'm needed — I'll fight again.'
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Posts misrepresent old air show accident as 'another plane crash' after US aviation disasters
"Another plane crash. Frequent air accidents involving US Air Force spark Trump's irritation," reads simplified Chinese text on an X video shared on February 2, 2025. The video, which was viewed more than 320,000 times, shows two people ejecting from a jet over a body of water. The jet then appears to crash beyond a line of trees, causing an explosion. It was shared after a passenger plane and a US Army helicopter collided near Washington and plunged into the Potomac River late on January 29 (archived link). Sixty passengers on the plane and four crew members were killed in the accident along with three soldiers aboard the US Army Black Hawk helicopter. Trump was quick to blame diversity hiring policies for the accident -- the deadliest US air crash in 20 years -- although no evidence has emerged that they were responsible. Two days later, a medical jet with six people onboard crashed into a busy Philadelphia neighbourhood, exploding on impact and showering wreckage over homes and vehicles (archived link). At least one other person, who was in a car, was also killed, and 19 others were wounded. The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating both accidents. The video was also shared elsewhere on X here and here, as well as on Chinese video platform Douyin, with comments suggesting users believed the claim. "The deep state's plan is to drop one plane a day," read one comment. Another said: "It's like winning the lottery one after another, which is unbelievable." But the video has circulated since August 2023. A reverse image search and subsequent keyword search on Google led to a longer version of the video posted on YouTube by CBS Detroit on August 14, 2023 (archived link). The video's description said it showed a jet that crashed at Thunder Over Michigan, an air show at the Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti, on August 13, 2023. The footage used in the false posts corresponds to the 23-second section starting at the YouTube clip's 10-second mark. CBS News used the video in its coverage, and credited the footage to one of its viewers. They reported that both people onboard the plane ejected from the plane, a MiG-23 fighter jet, and were not seriously injured (archived link). Authorities said the aircraft crashed into the parking lot of an apartment building, striking unoccupied vehicles and no one at the airport complex or the air show were injured. Similar videos showing the same incident from different angles were shared on the websites of NBC and WXYZ (archived here and here). According to the WXYZ report, the pilot was a retired US Navy lieutenant commander who collects Soviet-made fighter jets. The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report into the accident said it involved a "privately owned Russian designed military fighter airplane", and the pilot and pilot-rated observer received minor injuries (archived link). The report said both the pilot and rear-seat observer determined they were experiencing some form of engine problem and did not have enough altitude to make it to a runway at the Willow Run Airport. "(The pilot) was actively troubleshooting when the rear seat observer stated that they needed to eject. The pilot reported that he was not ready to eject and was still troubleshooting the problem and maneuvering the airplane toward runway 27 at (Willow Run Airport) when his ejection seat fired, and he was out of the airplane," the report said. AFP has debunked other misinformation about the Washington air disaster, including false claims about the helicopter pilot and purported images showing the crash site.
AFP
10-02-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Posts misrepresent old air show accident as 'another plane crash' after US aviation disasters
"Another plane crash. Frequent air accidents involving US Air Force spark Trump's irritation," reads simplified Chinese text on an X video shared on February 2, 2025. The video, which was viewed more than 320,000 times, shows two people ejecting from a jet over a body of water. The jet then appears to crash beyond a line of trees, causing an explosion. It was shared after a passenger plane and a US Army helicopter collided near Washington and plunged into the Potomac River late on January 29 (archived link). Sixty passengers on the plane and four crew members were killed in the accident along with three soldiers aboard the US Army Black Hawk helicopter. Trump was quick to blame diversity hiring policies for the accident -- the deadliest US air crash in 20 years -- although no evidence has emerged that they were responsible. Two days later, a medical jet with six people onboard crashed into a busy Philadelphia neighbourhood, exploding on impact and showering wreckage over homes and vehicles (archived link). At least one other person, who was in a car, was also killed, and 19 others were wounded. The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating both accidents. Image Screenshot of the false X post, captured on February 8, 2025 The video was also shared elsewhere on X here and here, as well as on Chinese video platform Douyin, with comments suggesting users believed the claim. "The deep state's plan is to drop one plane a day," read one comment. Another said: "It's like winning the lottery one after another, which is unbelievable." But the video has circulated since August 2023. Michigan air show crash A reverse image search and subsequent keyword search on Google led to a longer version of the video posted on YouTube by CBS Detroit on August 14, 2023 (archived link). The video's description said it showed a jet that crashed at Thunder Over Michigan, an air show at the Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti, on August 13, 2023. The footage used in the false posts corresponds to the 23-second section starting at the YouTube clip's 10-second mark. Image Screenshot comparisons of the falsely shared video (left) and the video posted by CBS Detroit (right) CBS News used the video in its coverage, and credited the footage to one of its viewers. They reported that both people onboard the plane ejected from the plane, a MiG-23 fighter jet, and were not seriously injured (archived link). Authorities said the aircraft crashed into the parking lot of an apartment building, striking unoccupied vehicles and no one at the airport complex or the air show were injured. Similar videos showing the same incident from different angles were shared on the websites of NBC and WXYZ (archived here and here). According to the WXYZ report, the pilot was a retired US Navy lieutenant commander who collects Soviet-made fighter jets. The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report into the accident said it involved a "privately owned Russian designed military fighter airplane", and the pilot and pilot-rated observer received minor injuries (archived link). The report said both the pilot and rear-seat observer determined they were experiencing some form of engine problem and did not have enough altitude to make it to a runway at the Willow Run Airport. "(The pilot) was actively troubleshooting when the rear seat observer stated that they needed to eject. The pilot reported that he was not ready to eject and was still troubleshooting the problem and maneuvering the airplane toward runway 27 at (Willow Run Airport) when his ejection seat fired, and he was out of the airplane," the report said. AFP has debunked other misinformation about the Washington air disaster, including false claims about the helicopter pilot and purported images showing the crash site.
