US findings contradict India's claim of shooting down Pak's F-16 Jet: Report

Washington: A report published in one of America's prominent magazines, impugns India's claim of shooting down Pakistan's F-16 jet in Pulwama aftermath, with the its findings which states none of F-16 jets are "missing" and all the fighter planes were "present and accounted for".

"A US count of Pakistan's F-16 fleet has found that all the jets are present and accounted for, a direct contradiction to India's claim that it shot down one of the fighter jets during a February clash," Lara Seligman of the magazine reported on Thursday.

ALSO READ: US: India gives proof against Pak for using F-16 jet during Dogfight

The finding by the US on the ground in Pakistan "directly contradicts" India's claim that its air force shot down an F-16 fighter jet during an aerial dogfight on February 27.

The Indian Air Force on February 28 displayed pieces of the AMRAAM missile, fired by a Pakistani F-16, as evidence to "conclusively" prove that Pakistan deployed US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets during an aerial raid targeting Indian military installations in Kashmir.

Pakistan had categorically said that no F-16 fighter jets were used and denied that one of its planes had been downed by the IAF.

According to the Foreign Policy magazine, Pakistan invited the United States to physically count its F-16 planes after the incident as part of an end-user agreement signed when the foreign military sale was finalised.

The count of the F-16 fighter planes in Pakistan has been completed, and "all aircraft were present and accounted for," an unnamed defence official was quoted as saying by the magazine.

The Department of Defence did not immediately respond to a question on its count of F-16 fighter jets in Pakistan.

"As details come out, it looks worse and worse for the Indians," MIT professor Vipin Narang told the magazine. "It looks increasingly like India failed to impose significant costs on Pakistan, but lost a plane and a helicopter of its own in the process," he said.

ALSO READ: Pak breaches end-user agreement, US seeks deet on potential misuse of F-16

Generally, in such agreements, the US requires the receiving country to allow its officials to inspect the equipment regularly to ensure it is accounted for and protected, the news report said.

After the appalling terror attack on Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama, the IAF carried out a counter-terror operation, targeting a JeM training camp in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan on February 26.

Following which, Pakistan Air Force, on the very next day, retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat while its pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured, who was handed over to India on March 1.

ALSO READ: Modi took credit for Balakot, should take responsibility for Pulwama: TDP