Balakot strikes: IAF orders sacking of officer for shooting down own MI-17 helicopter by mistake

A General Court Martial (GCM) instituted by the Indian Air Force has ordered sacking of a Group Captain for the crash of an Mi-17 V5 helicopter in Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir after it was hit by a missile on February 27, 2019, official sources said on Tuesday.

The attack helicopter was struck by the IAF's own surface-to-air missile when the chopper was on its way back to Srinagar on the day Indian and Pakistani air forces were engaged in a dogfight, according to a Court of Inquiry.

The sources said the GCM ordered dismissal of Group Captain Suman Roy Chowdhury, who was serving then as the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the Srinagar Air Force Station.

The probe had found that the 'Identification of Friend or Foe' (IFF) system on-board the helicopter was switched off and there were "vital gaps" in communication and coordination between the ground staff and the crew of the chopper. It also found violations of standard operating procedures. The IFF helps air defence radars identify whether an aircraft or helicopter is friendly or hostile.

The sources said the GCM held Group Captain Chowdhury guilty of not following laid down norms, especially orders issued by the Air Headquarters on IFF.