India is today on July 26, celebrating the Kargil Vijay Diwas 2022, commemorating win over Pakistani infiltration 23 years ago in the Kargil region of Jammu and Kashmir. This day is celebrated every year to pay homage to the warriors who undertook a successful high-altitude warfare and fought for the defence of the country. While the ground troops played the most important role in the Kargil War, the Indian Air Force also played a vital role in an operation called Safed Sagar that will go down in the history of the IAF as the most successful combat operation for the winged forces of India.


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The mighty IAF fleet and its strategy helped India achieve an advantage over the Pakistani infiltrators, who held a high ground over the treacherous mountain conditions and were proving a problem for the ground troops. India deployed its fleet of MiG-29, MiG-21, MiG-27 and Mirage-2000 fighter jets along with the helicopter fleet to scare off the Pakistani Air Force, who did not take part in the war. Here’s a look at the IAF fighter jets that helped India have an upper hand over Pakistan:



Mirage-2000


The Mirage-2000 is widely considered the hero of the Kargil war, and helped India destroy multiple enemy outposts with laser guided bombs. Although MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-27 aircrafts were used by the Air Force for ground bombing, it was the Mirage-2000 that was deployed to destroy enemy bunkers with pin point accuracy.


This French made aircraft was equipped with modern weapons and could fly all the time, day or night. Reports says that the attacks were so effective that in a few minutes more than 300 enemies were eliminated. The Dassault-made Mirage-2000 was also used in Balakote strikes for LGB and also helped India select Rafale as its most advanced and lethal aircraft in the IAF.



MiG-29


The MiG-29 made by the erstwhile USSR’s Mikoyan Design Bureau is a product of the 1970s and was made to counter United States F-15 and F-16 jets. During the Kargil war, the MiG-29 aircraft was deployed in Kargil and the Pakistani Air Force, lacking the long range air to air missiles in their US sourced F-16, decided not to cross the border, helping India achieve advantage over ground troops.


The MiG-29 fighter plane is an Air Superiority Fighter Plane and is equipped with visual range air-to-air missile (BVR). Although the MiG-29 mostly performed surveillance and support mission and was not directly involved in carrying out attacks, it did stop PAF from entering the Indian territory.


MiG-21


Although the MiG-21 has gained a bad reputation over the years and is the oldest surviving fighter jet from the 1960s era in use by an Air Force, the MiG-21, again made by Mikoyan, is one of the most important workhorses for the IAF and has proved its worth every now and then. Built mainly for an air interception with a secondary role of ground attack, the MiG-21 is capable of operating in restricted spaces, and hence played an important role in the Kargil War due to its tricky terrain.


In fact, the initial ground strikes were carried out by MiG-21 and was later joined by MiG-29 with its Laser Guided Bombs. The MiG-21 has over the years been updated to match the newer gen aircrafts and in its current form, it's helping IAF as the first strike against any infiltration. The IAF will gradually replace MiG-21 Bison with home made Tejas LCA. 


Mig-27 (Bahadur)


One of the most dreaded, and horrifying incidents from the Kargil War was the capture of Flight Lieutenant K Nachiketa, who was flying the MiG-27 jet, fondly called Bahadur by the Indian Air Force. The Indian Air Force (IAF) flew its first air support missions on May 26 and the first fatality was suffered on May 27 when a MiG-27 crashed due to engine flame out due to the ingestion of the exhaust gas of the weapons fired.


In 2010, the Indian Air Force grounded its entire fleet of over 150 of the aircraft after a MiG-27 crashed on 16 February 2010 in West Bengal. The MiG-27 was retired from the IAF on 27 December 2019 when the last two MiG-27 squadrons were retired with a ceremony at Jodhpur airbase. It was made by HAL under license agreement with Russia. 


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