The incident took place during a routine operation when the aircraft unintentionally deployed an air store, which refers to munitions, bombs, or other military equipment carried by the aircraft. The exact type of the air store involved has not been specified.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday (August 21) reported that one of its fighter aircraft inadvertently released an "air store" near the Pokhran firing range due to a technical malfunction. In a statement, the IAF confirmed that no damage to life or property was reported as a result of the incident.
The incident took place during a routine operation when the aircraft unintentionally deployed an air store, which refers to munitions, bombs, or other military equipment carried by the aircraft. The exact type of the air store involved has not been specified.
An inadvertent release of an air store from an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft took place near Pokhran firing range area, due to technical malfunction, today. An enquiry by the IAF has been ordered to investigate into the incident. No damage to life or property has been…
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The IAF has launched an enquiry to determine the cause of the technical glitch that led to the inadvertent release. The statement on X read: "An inadvertent release of an air store from an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft took place near Pokhran firing range area today due to a technical malfunction. An enquiry by the IAF has been ordered to investigate the incident. No damage to life or property has been reported."
राजस्थान : जैसलमेर में पोखरण फायरिंग रेंज में आज वायुसेना के एयरक्राफ्ट से कोई वस्तु गिरी और धमाका होने से कई फीट गहरा गड्ढा हो गया।
IAF ने कहा– "लड़ाकू विमान से एयर स्टोर अनजाने में बाहर निकल आया। इसकी जांच का आदेश दिया है" pic.twitter.com/9bscN8sj3D
The Pokhran firing range, located in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, is a prominent site used for testing and training exercises by the Indian armed forces.
This incident comes in the wake of a more serious event in March 2022, when a BrahMos missile was accidentally fired into Pakistan. The missile, which was unarmed, landed in Mian Channu in the Khanewal District of Punjab, Pakistan.
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Although the missile caused some damage to buildings and created a crater in a field, the incident was quickly acknowledged by Indian authorities as an accident caused by a "technical malfunction" during routine maintenance. The 2022 incident led to heightened diplomatic tensions and scrutiny.