Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa and Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who piloted a MiG-21 Bison during the airstrike at a terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot in February, today flew together in a two-seater version of the Russian-origin legacy jet.

After the sortie, Air Chief Dhanoa said, it was an honour for him to fly with Abhinandan.
He said that Abhinandan has got his flying capabilities back.

Both of us have fought Pakistanis. I fought in Kargil, Abhinandan fought after Balakot, the Air Chief Marshal said.

The IAF said it was the last sortie flown by Air Chief in a fighter aircraft before his retirement.

In today’s sortie, the two took off in the MiG-21 trainer from Pathankot and flew for 30 minutes. Air Chief Marshal recalled serving in a MiG-21 squadron with the Wing Commander’s father, Simhakutty Varthaman who retired as an Air Marshal.

Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa commanded a squadron of frontline ground attack fighters and defended the icy heights of Kargil during the war in 1999.

Abhinandan Varthaman was conferred the Vir Chakra, the coveted wartime gallantry medal, for downing the F-16 jet of Pakistan after Balakot airstrike by Indian Air Force.

The sortie comes a day before the Indian Air Force inducts eight US-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopters at the Pathankot Air Force Station.

India signed a multi-billion dollar contract with the US government and Boeing in September 2015 for 22 Apache helicopters.

The Apache is a known ‘tankbuster’, has seen action in multiple wars and is highly effective against ground targets in the frontline.