27 air battle February 2019 of the year over Kashmir. There are more questions than answers.
The air battle that took place on 27 on February of this year in the sky of Kashmir was one of the most talked about air battles of late. However, in fairness, we note that today, fortunately, there are few such fights in the world, so any of them will be the subject of controversy and reasoning.
As you know, the Indian and Pakistani Air Force combat aircraft seized over Kashmir. Unfortunately, neither one nor the other side provided a detailed description of the collision, which led to a lot of different speculations in the media, both foreign and Russian-speaking. All this, of course, created fertile ground for conjectures of the most surprising sense: for example, the Indian edition of International Business Times published an article in which the author tells that the Indian Air Force “overslept” the raid and had to respond by what happened nearby, as well as about the retreat (well, at least not a stampede, and thanks for that) Su-30MKI fighters from Pakistani F-16. Well, in India, of course, freedom of the press, however, we began to submit this material as “attempts with a cold head” to analyze what happened in the February-India border of 27 ”.
Let's try to figure out what could really happen that day.
It all started 14 February 2019, when a convoy of Indian troops was attacked in Jammu and Kashmir. A suicide bomber committed a self-detonation, while 45 people died. Responsibility for the attack was assumed by the radical separatist group “Jaish-e-Muhammad” (“Army of Muhammad”), which has bases in Pakistan. For obvious reasons, the Indians did not want to put the brakes on the case, and February 26 launched an air strike on one of the “Army of Mohammed” camps located in the territory of Kashmir, controlled by Pakistan. As a result of a strike at a training camp in Balakot, according to NDTV, 300 terrorists were killed. Pakistan also said that the Indian Air Force did not kill a single person and did not cause damage to the infrastructure.
Apparently, those killed during the attack on the convoy were avenged a hundredfold. But, with all due respect to the motives of the Indians, we note that they actually used their armed forces on the territory of a sovereign state, which is Pakistan. And therefore it is difficult to be surprised that the next day the Pakistani Air Forces showed up with a retaliatory action.
What happened in the future is rather difficult to understand, because, as mentioned above, neither India nor Pakistan gave an exhaustive description of the battle. It is precisely known that the planes of the Pakistani Air Forces struck, or at least tried to strike them on objects in India, more precisely, on certain objects located in that part of Kashmir that is under the control of India. It is indicated that from the Pakistani side participated 24 aircraft, including X-NUMX fighters F-8, X-NUMX French Mirage-16 and 4 Chinese JF-3 Thunder, as well as 4 other unnamed aircraft. The latter did not take part in the raid, but were in the air in the area of operation and, apparently, carried out a long-range cover.
Most likely, the situation was as follows: the 16 of the Falcons, the Mirage and Groms (under the formidable name JF-17 Thunder hides a Chinese hand-made article based on the MiG-21) crossed the air line on the contact line between India and Pakistan in Kashmir and delivered their planned blow, after which they attempted to retreat into their airspace.
The remaining eight unknown aircraft remained over the territory of Pakistan, ready to support their strike group.
It is alleged that the invasion of Pakistani air forces into the airspace controlled by India, discovered an Indian plane, it happened in 09.45. Judging by some English-language sources, it was one of the DEWS aircraft available to the Indians, but which one is unclear. The Indian Air Force attempted to repel the invasion.
In total, the 8 of the Su-4MKI, the 30 Mirage 2 and another of the Bison 2000, which is one of the latest versions of the MiG-2, were able to pull down the 21 aircraft.
This is known reliably, but further solid guesses begin. According to the Indian media (NDTV channel), their planes arrived at the scene of action when the Pakistani strike group was already departing after the attack. This is very similar to the truth, because Pakistan clearly wanted to make a lightning rally of retribution, and not to unleash a large-scale conflict. Accordingly, the tactic "quickly entered Indian airspace - hit - and run home" is more than justified, especially since the targets were set relatively close to the border. The calculation, obviously, was that the planes of the Indian Air Force would not pursue Pakistani planes beyond their airspace. Well, if this happens, the Pakistani Air Force was ready for this - their strike group was insured by entire 8 aircraft, most likely F-16.
But back to the Indians. According to one version, the first MiG-21 came to the scene of action. Using data from the DRLO aircraft, these aircraft, at low altitude, approached the strike group of Pakistanis and then attacked. According to another version, the MiG-21 arrived in the combat area almost simultaneously with the rest of the combat aircraft, but the latter did not climb on the rampage. But a couple of MiG-21 rushed to the attack, ignoring the warning that the strike group of Pakistanis is covered with fighters.
As a result, the leading MiG, which was piloted by Abhinandan Varthaman, managed to take the outgoing F-16 into the sight and use a short-range R-73 air-to-air missile (or missiles?) On it. The Indians are confident that the Pakistani plane was shot down. As vice-marshal said at a press conference aviation Kapoor (approximate translation): "There is reliable evidence that Pakistan lost one F-16, but they cannot be presented to the general public for reasons of secrecy."
In response, Pakistani fighters fired 2 AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM missiles, and further opinions differ again. Some sources report that both missiles were fired at the lead of the MiG-21, one of them, Abhinandan Varthamman, was able to dodge, while the second hit his plane. According to another version, both MiG-21 fighters were fired, but the slave was able to evade the attacking missile, but the Abhinandan did not. In any case, it is reliably known only that the MiG-21, which was piloted by Vrthaman, was shot down.
Then, or perhaps simultaneously with the attack of the MiG-21, Pakistani fighters fired at AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM approaching Su-30МКИ using either 4 or 5 rockets, but they did not succeed. Initially, Indian media even claimed that Su-30MKI had been attacked by attacking missiles, but most likely this was a mistake of reporters - most likely it was that the Sushchek pilots, using anti-missile maneuvers and EW, managed to avoid defeat.
This, in fact, the fighting ended.
Pakistanis immediately announced that they shot down an Indian aircraft 2, without losing any of their own. The Indians seemed to have first reported that they had not suffered losses (according to some Russian-speaking sources), and claimed the downed F-16, but almost immediately recognized the loss of the MiG-21.
Most likely Pakistan lost the F-16, and India lost the MiG-21. Both aircraft fell on the territory controlled by Pakistan, therefore, in fact, there was a bike about two shot down Indian aircraft. The Pakistani military simply did not understand, considering both aircraft to be Indian, but in the presented photographs of one of them, the F-16 was identified by the characteristic equipment numbers.
True, for some reason the United States intervened. Their newspaper Foreign Policy (Foreign Policy) published an article entitled “Did India shoot down a Pakistani plane?” American experts say no, in which its author, Lara Seligman, argued that the Indian pilots did not shoot down any F-16. The evidence is the statement of two unnamed US officials of the Ministry of Defense. The point is this: according to the terms of the contract, on the basis of which the USA supplied F-16 to Pakistan, the Americans have the right to check the status of the aircraft they sold. And so, after the battle over Kashmir, the Pakistanis appealed to the United States with a request to recount the F-16, which the Americans did, and did not see any losses. At the same time, Foreign Policy notes that the F-16 of the Pakistani Air Force was acquired not only in the USA, but also in Jordan, where 13 machines of this type were purchased. But in the calculations of American officials and they are taken into account.
Thus, according to the Americans, the Indians invented their success. They see the reason for this in the fact that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not want to lose her rating in the run-up to the all-Indian elections.
The version is, of course, interesting, but is it possible to trust the American calculations? According to the author of this article - it is impossible. On the one hand, Americans are certainly an interested party: it is quite beneficial for them to conceal the loss of the Pakistani F-16, especially in connection with attempts to sell planes of this type to India. Then it is completely unclear why all of a sudden Islamabad, currently conflicting with the United States, suddenly turned to them for help.
The fact is that Washington imposed partial sanctions against Pakistan for Islamabad's refusal to provide its airspace for American flights. drones. This had a very negative impact on the state of the country's air fleet and, as far as one can understand, not all aircraft purchased in the United States managed to be kept in the Air Force. As far as the author knows, the total number of F-16s delivered by the US was 78 units, thus, taking into account 13 Jordanian vehicles, their total number should have been 91 units. At the same time, Foreign Policy, citing data from Aviation Week & Space Technology, reports that there are only 73 aircraft in the Pakistani Air Force - and this is taking into account Jordanian aircraft.
In other words, it turned out that as a result of the ban on the corresponding supply and maintenance, the F-16 air force of Pakistan for a while left the eyes of the Americans, and during that time lost about 18 aircraft. Thus, if only Pakistan did not save the failed aircraft (and why?), Then their recount “over the heads” is simply impossible.
Officials who considered the Pakistani aircraft are not named. In addition (alas, the English author did not allow him to independently understand such nuances), the domestic “Free Press” in the article “New details of the battle between the MiG-21 and F-16 over Kashmir” said: “The State Department, although it is behind the publication in Foreign Policy, did not comment on the article, but the publication itself considered the exclusive of Lara Seligman a private opinion. ”
But the most important evidence, of course, were photographs of the wreckage of the F-16, which the Pakistanis mistaken for an Indian plane.
Thus, with the highest probability it can be argued that as a result of the February 27 clash, 2019, Pakistan lost one F-16, and India lost one MiG-21. In addition, the Indian helicopter Mi-17 crashed on the same day, but this catastrophe obviously has nothing to do with Indo-Pakistani hostilities /
There are a lot of questions. Has the Pakistani raid been crowned with success? Of course, the military of Islamabad reported the defeat of the intended goals, but somehow without a “spark”, without details. At the same time, the Indians, too, did not focus on the damage. What can this mean? Perhaps, India used the “acceptance of silence”, without advertising the resulting destruction, but if there were human victims, it would be very difficult to do so. Maybe, in fact, Pakistani planes could not fulfill their combat mission, and simply dropped their deadly cargo and retreated when Indian aircraft appeared. Or it may be that Islamabad, wanting to save face, but not wanting to aggravate the confrontation with India, chose as targets of attack any objects that have lost any military or other significance.
Did the Indian air force overslept? Well, even one of the Indian publicists believes that overslept. However, there is a sense of bias. Let us remember that the day before the Indian Air Force hit the territory controlled by Pakistan, and where were the Pakistani Air Force at that time? In fact, the air battle took place not when Indian planes invaded Pakistan’s airspace, but quite the opposite, and if we say that someone “overslept” something, then this “slept” will obviously be Pakistan.
But on February, the Indian Air Force 27 managed to quickly fly into the air and redeploy fighters to the 8 area, the actions of which, apparently, were coordinated by DRLO aircraft. Given the extremely small time that remained at their disposal, this is quite a decent result.
Why didn't the Indian Su-30MKI join the battle? Pilots were frightened by the terrible American AMRAAM missiles? There is a much simpler and more plausible explanation. Recall that both planes shot down in battle fell on the territory of Pakistan, and the combat formations of Pakistani aviation.
The fact that the MiG-21 attacked the Pakistanis when they retreated is not disputed by anyone. The fact that the downed MiG-21 fell on the territory of Kashmir, controlled by Pakistan, indicates that during the pursuit the aircraft, piloted by Abhinandan Varthamman, came close to the air border. It is also obvious that India was interested in punishing the terrorists, but its plans did not include the unleashing of the next Indo-Pakistani war.
So, on the basis of the foregoing, it is very easy to assume that the Indian pilots had orders to fight exclusively over their territory, while not climbing into Pakistani airspace. Strictly speaking, this is a natural situation for all the Air Force of the world. So, according to some sources, the four Su-30MKI approached the combat area simultaneously, or a little later, a pair of MiG-21, but before the Mirage. However, even if this is not the case, and all the 8 Indian fighters were “assembled” at that moment, then in any case:
1. They were confronted by significantly superior Pakistani forces. Still, three to one (24: 8) is not the ratio in which to take air combat;
2. It’s not a fact that Su-30MKI and Mirages were close enough to have time to attack the retreating Pakistani planes while they were still in Indian airspace;
3. The attack of the retreating Pakistanis was obviously a losing tactic, since the latter had air cover. That it should be destroyed in the first place. But if Indian planes had orders not to enter Pakistan’s airspace, they did not have the right to do this, because the Pakistani fighter jets did not cross the air border.
So, most likely it turned out that the Su-30MKI pilots refused to attack, which would either put their few machines in a deliberately losing position, or would lead to an air battle over the territory of Pakistan, which they were probably forbidden. In other words, there was no retreat or flight, but there was a perfectly correct decision. But Abhinandan Varthamman heroically ignored the order and rushed to the attack (kshatriyas, they are such ksatriyas!), As a result of which the enemy plane was shot down, but he himself was also shot down.
But the most important lesson of 27 February 2019 air combat was the use of AMRAAM missiles on Su-30MKI aircraft. If this attack really took place and medium-range 4-5 missiles were launched on “Drying”, then this combat experience puts the American concept of fighter aircraft in question. Of course, AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM is no longer at the peak of progress, but Indian Su-30MKI were hardly equipped with the latest REP systems like the same Khibiny. And the fact that not a single Indian 4 generation aircraft was hit by this rocket suggests that the effectiveness of modern medium-range missiles in combat equipment of the same technological level may not be as high as many analysts believe the combat potential of a combat aircraft from a range of missiles suspended from it.
In other words: 2 of the concept of air combat is much discussed today on the Internet. According to the first of them, the combination of the DRLO aircraft and the equipping of fighters with medium-range and long-range air-to-air missiles will lead to the closest air combat (BVB) becoming a relic of the past. Accordingly, in the wars of the future, stealth will play the most important role for the sake of which you can sacrifice a lot, including maneuverability. According to the second concept, medium-range and long-range URVV are important and necessary, but nevertheless they are only a “prelude” to the aircraft fight, short-circuited, a means allowing the enemy to inflict sensitive losses before the start of the BWB, which, in fact, will decide the matter. Accordingly, maneuverability remains one of the most important combat qualities of a future fighter.
It is known that the first concept of Americans, the second - the domestic videoconferencing. And the experience of the 27 battle of January 2019, as if confirms the correctness of the domestic concept.
As you know, the Indian and Pakistani Air Force combat aircraft seized over Kashmir. Unfortunately, neither one nor the other side provided a detailed description of the collision, which led to a lot of different speculations in the media, both foreign and Russian-speaking. All this, of course, created fertile ground for conjectures of the most surprising sense: for example, the Indian edition of International Business Times published an article in which the author tells that the Indian Air Force “overslept” the raid and had to respond by what happened nearby, as well as about the retreat (well, at least not a stampede, and thanks for that) Su-30MKI fighters from Pakistani F-16. Well, in India, of course, freedom of the press, however, we began to submit this material as “attempts with a cold head” to analyze what happened in the February-India border of 27 ”.
Let's try to figure out what could really happen that day.
prehistory
It all started 14 February 2019, when a convoy of Indian troops was attacked in Jammu and Kashmir. A suicide bomber committed a self-detonation, while 45 people died. Responsibility for the attack was assumed by the radical separatist group “Jaish-e-Muhammad” (“Army of Muhammad”), which has bases in Pakistan. For obvious reasons, the Indians did not want to put the brakes on the case, and February 26 launched an air strike on one of the “Army of Mohammed” camps located in the territory of Kashmir, controlled by Pakistan. As a result of a strike at a training camp in Balakot, according to NDTV, 300 terrorists were killed. Pakistan also said that the Indian Air Force did not kill a single person and did not cause damage to the infrastructure.
Apparently, those killed during the attack on the convoy were avenged a hundredfold. But, with all due respect to the motives of the Indians, we note that they actually used their armed forces on the territory of a sovereign state, which is Pakistan. And therefore it is difficult to be surprised that the next day the Pakistani Air Forces showed up with a retaliatory action.
Pakistan attacks
What happened in the future is rather difficult to understand, because, as mentioned above, neither India nor Pakistan gave an exhaustive description of the battle. It is precisely known that the planes of the Pakistani Air Forces struck, or at least tried to strike them on objects in India, more precisely, on certain objects located in that part of Kashmir that is under the control of India. It is indicated that from the Pakistani side participated 24 aircraft, including X-NUMX fighters F-8, X-NUMX French Mirage-16 and 4 Chinese JF-3 Thunder, as well as 4 other unnamed aircraft. The latter did not take part in the raid, but were in the air in the area of operation and, apparently, carried out a long-range cover.
Most likely, the situation was as follows: the 16 of the Falcons, the Mirage and Groms (under the formidable name JF-17 Thunder hides a Chinese hand-made article based on the MiG-21) crossed the air line on the contact line between India and Pakistan in Kashmir and delivered their planned blow, after which they attempted to retreat into their airspace.
JF-17 "Thunder"
The remaining eight unknown aircraft remained over the territory of Pakistan, ready to support their strike group.
Indian Air Force actions
It is alleged that the invasion of Pakistani air forces into the airspace controlled by India, discovered an Indian plane, it happened in 09.45. Judging by some English-language sources, it was one of the DEWS aircraft available to the Indians, but which one is unclear. The Indian Air Force attempted to repel the invasion.
In total, the 8 of the Su-4MKI, the 30 Mirage 2 and another of the Bison 2000, which is one of the latest versions of the MiG-2, were able to pull down the 21 aircraft.
This is known reliably, but further solid guesses begin. According to the Indian media (NDTV channel), their planes arrived at the scene of action when the Pakistani strike group was already departing after the attack. This is very similar to the truth, because Pakistan clearly wanted to make a lightning rally of retribution, and not to unleash a large-scale conflict. Accordingly, the tactic "quickly entered Indian airspace - hit - and run home" is more than justified, especially since the targets were set relatively close to the border. The calculation, obviously, was that the planes of the Indian Air Force would not pursue Pakistani planes beyond their airspace. Well, if this happens, the Pakistani Air Force was ready for this - their strike group was insured by entire 8 aircraft, most likely F-16.
But back to the Indians. According to one version, the first MiG-21 came to the scene of action. Using data from the DRLO aircraft, these aircraft, at low altitude, approached the strike group of Pakistanis and then attacked. According to another version, the MiG-21 arrived in the combat area almost simultaneously with the rest of the combat aircraft, but the latter did not climb on the rampage. But a couple of MiG-21 rushed to the attack, ignoring the warning that the strike group of Pakistanis is covered with fighters.
As a result, the leading MiG, which was piloted by Abhinandan Varthaman, managed to take the outgoing F-16 into the sight and use a short-range R-73 air-to-air missile (or missiles?) On it. The Indians are confident that the Pakistani plane was shot down. As vice-marshal said at a press conference aviation Kapoor (approximate translation): "There is reliable evidence that Pakistan lost one F-16, but they cannot be presented to the general public for reasons of secrecy."
In response, Pakistani fighters fired 2 AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM missiles, and further opinions differ again. Some sources report that both missiles were fired at the lead of the MiG-21, one of them, Abhinandan Varthamman, was able to dodge, while the second hit his plane. According to another version, both MiG-21 fighters were fired, but the slave was able to evade the attacking missile, but the Abhinandan did not. In any case, it is reliably known only that the MiG-21, which was piloted by Vrthaman, was shot down.
Then, or perhaps simultaneously with the attack of the MiG-21, Pakistani fighters fired at AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM approaching Su-30МКИ using either 4 or 5 rockets, but they did not succeed. Initially, Indian media even claimed that Su-30MKI had been attacked by attacking missiles, but most likely this was a mistake of reporters - most likely it was that the Sushchek pilots, using anti-missile maneuvers and EW, managed to avoid defeat.
This, in fact, the fighting ended.
Losses
Pakistanis immediately announced that they shot down an Indian aircraft 2, without losing any of their own. The Indians seemed to have first reported that they had not suffered losses (according to some Russian-speaking sources), and claimed the downed F-16, but almost immediately recognized the loss of the MiG-21.
Most likely Pakistan lost the F-16, and India lost the MiG-21. Both aircraft fell on the territory controlled by Pakistan, therefore, in fact, there was a bike about two shot down Indian aircraft. The Pakistani military simply did not understand, considering both aircraft to be Indian, but in the presented photographs of one of them, the F-16 was identified by the characteristic equipment numbers.
True, for some reason the United States intervened. Their newspaper Foreign Policy (Foreign Policy) published an article entitled “Did India shoot down a Pakistani plane?” American experts say no, in which its author, Lara Seligman, argued that the Indian pilots did not shoot down any F-16. The evidence is the statement of two unnamed US officials of the Ministry of Defense. The point is this: according to the terms of the contract, on the basis of which the USA supplied F-16 to Pakistan, the Americans have the right to check the status of the aircraft they sold. And so, after the battle over Kashmir, the Pakistanis appealed to the United States with a request to recount the F-16, which the Americans did, and did not see any losses. At the same time, Foreign Policy notes that the F-16 of the Pakistani Air Force was acquired not only in the USA, but also in Jordan, where 13 machines of this type were purchased. But in the calculations of American officials and they are taken into account.
Thus, according to the Americans, the Indians invented their success. They see the reason for this in the fact that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not want to lose her rating in the run-up to the all-Indian elections.
The version is, of course, interesting, but is it possible to trust the American calculations? According to the author of this article - it is impossible. On the one hand, Americans are certainly an interested party: it is quite beneficial for them to conceal the loss of the Pakistani F-16, especially in connection with attempts to sell planes of this type to India. Then it is completely unclear why all of a sudden Islamabad, currently conflicting with the United States, suddenly turned to them for help.
The fact is that Washington imposed partial sanctions against Pakistan for Islamabad's refusal to provide its airspace for American flights. drones. This had a very negative impact on the state of the country's air fleet and, as far as one can understand, not all aircraft purchased in the United States managed to be kept in the Air Force. As far as the author knows, the total number of F-16s delivered by the US was 78 units, thus, taking into account 13 Jordanian vehicles, their total number should have been 91 units. At the same time, Foreign Policy, citing data from Aviation Week & Space Technology, reports that there are only 73 aircraft in the Pakistani Air Force - and this is taking into account Jordanian aircraft.
In other words, it turned out that as a result of the ban on the corresponding supply and maintenance, the F-16 air force of Pakistan for a while left the eyes of the Americans, and during that time lost about 18 aircraft. Thus, if only Pakistan did not save the failed aircraft (and why?), Then their recount “over the heads” is simply impossible.
Officials who considered the Pakistani aircraft are not named. In addition (alas, the English author did not allow him to independently understand such nuances), the domestic “Free Press” in the article “New details of the battle between the MiG-21 and F-16 over Kashmir” said: “The State Department, although it is behind the publication in Foreign Policy, did not comment on the article, but the publication itself considered the exclusive of Lara Seligman a private opinion. ”
But the most important evidence, of course, were photographs of the wreckage of the F-16, which the Pakistanis mistaken for an Indian plane.
Thus, with the highest probability it can be argued that as a result of the February 27 clash, 2019, Pakistan lost one F-16, and India lost one MiG-21. In addition, the Indian helicopter Mi-17 crashed on the same day, but this catastrophe obviously has nothing to do with Indo-Pakistani hostilities /
What really happened?
There are a lot of questions. Has the Pakistani raid been crowned with success? Of course, the military of Islamabad reported the defeat of the intended goals, but somehow without a “spark”, without details. At the same time, the Indians, too, did not focus on the damage. What can this mean? Perhaps, India used the “acceptance of silence”, without advertising the resulting destruction, but if there were human victims, it would be very difficult to do so. Maybe, in fact, Pakistani planes could not fulfill their combat mission, and simply dropped their deadly cargo and retreated when Indian aircraft appeared. Or it may be that Islamabad, wanting to save face, but not wanting to aggravate the confrontation with India, chose as targets of attack any objects that have lost any military or other significance.
Did the Indian air force overslept? Well, even one of the Indian publicists believes that overslept. However, there is a sense of bias. Let us remember that the day before the Indian Air Force hit the territory controlled by Pakistan, and where were the Pakistani Air Force at that time? In fact, the air battle took place not when Indian planes invaded Pakistan’s airspace, but quite the opposite, and if we say that someone “overslept” something, then this “slept” will obviously be Pakistan.
But on February, the Indian Air Force 27 managed to quickly fly into the air and redeploy fighters to the 8 area, the actions of which, apparently, were coordinated by DRLO aircraft. Given the extremely small time that remained at their disposal, this is quite a decent result.
Why didn't the Indian Su-30MKI join the battle? Pilots were frightened by the terrible American AMRAAM missiles? There is a much simpler and more plausible explanation. Recall that both planes shot down in battle fell on the territory of Pakistan, and the combat formations of Pakistani aviation.
The fact that the MiG-21 attacked the Pakistanis when they retreated is not disputed by anyone. The fact that the downed MiG-21 fell on the territory of Kashmir, controlled by Pakistan, indicates that during the pursuit the aircraft, piloted by Abhinandan Varthamman, came close to the air border. It is also obvious that India was interested in punishing the terrorists, but its plans did not include the unleashing of the next Indo-Pakistani war.
So, on the basis of the foregoing, it is very easy to assume that the Indian pilots had orders to fight exclusively over their territory, while not climbing into Pakistani airspace. Strictly speaking, this is a natural situation for all the Air Force of the world. So, according to some sources, the four Su-30MKI approached the combat area simultaneously, or a little later, a pair of MiG-21, but before the Mirage. However, even if this is not the case, and all the 8 Indian fighters were “assembled” at that moment, then in any case:
1. They were confronted by significantly superior Pakistani forces. Still, three to one (24: 8) is not the ratio in which to take air combat;
2. It’s not a fact that Su-30MKI and Mirages were close enough to have time to attack the retreating Pakistani planes while they were still in Indian airspace;
3. The attack of the retreating Pakistanis was obviously a losing tactic, since the latter had air cover. That it should be destroyed in the first place. But if Indian planes had orders not to enter Pakistan’s airspace, they did not have the right to do this, because the Pakistani fighter jets did not cross the air border.
So, most likely it turned out that the Su-30MKI pilots refused to attack, which would either put their few machines in a deliberately losing position, or would lead to an air battle over the territory of Pakistan, which they were probably forbidden. In other words, there was no retreat or flight, but there was a perfectly correct decision. But Abhinandan Varthamman heroically ignored the order and rushed to the attack (kshatriyas, they are such ksatriyas!), As a result of which the enemy plane was shot down, but he himself was also shot down.
But the most important lesson of 27 February 2019 air combat was the use of AMRAAM missiles on Su-30MKI aircraft. If this attack really took place and medium-range 4-5 missiles were launched on “Drying”, then this combat experience puts the American concept of fighter aircraft in question. Of course, AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM is no longer at the peak of progress, but Indian Su-30MKI were hardly equipped with the latest REP systems like the same Khibiny. And the fact that not a single Indian 4 generation aircraft was hit by this rocket suggests that the effectiveness of modern medium-range missiles in combat equipment of the same technological level may not be as high as many analysts believe the combat potential of a combat aircraft from a range of missiles suspended from it.
In other words: 2 of the concept of air combat is much discussed today on the Internet. According to the first of them, the combination of the DRLO aircraft and the equipping of fighters with medium-range and long-range air-to-air missiles will lead to the closest air combat (BVB) becoming a relic of the past. Accordingly, in the wars of the future, stealth will play the most important role for the sake of which you can sacrifice a lot, including maneuverability. According to the second concept, medium-range and long-range URVV are important and necessary, but nevertheless they are only a “prelude” to the aircraft fight, short-circuited, a means allowing the enemy to inflict sensitive losses before the start of the BWB, which, in fact, will decide the matter. Accordingly, maneuverability remains one of the most important combat qualities of a future fighter.
It is known that the first concept of Americans, the second - the domestic videoconferencing. And the experience of the 27 battle of January 2019, as if confirms the correctness of the domestic concept.
Information