Ex-Air Chief Reveals Why MiG-21 Fought F-16 in 2019 Abhinandan Incident

• Former Air Chief Marshal (Retired) BS Dhanoa revealed why a MiG-21 Bison was sent against Pakistan's F-16s during the 2019 aerial confrontation.
• The MiG-21 was the only fully operational and heavily armed option available at Srinagar airbase at the time.
• Sukhoi-30s could not land at Srinagar due to blast deflector incompatibility, while Tejas lacked combat-ready weapons.
• Only 7 of 27 upgraded Mirage-2000s were available, making their inclusion in the operation impossible.
• Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, flying a MiG-21, shot down a Pakistani jet but was captured after his aircraft crashed in PoK; he was later awarded the Vir Chakra.

Why It Matters: The 2019 MiG-21 vs F-16 encounter highlighted IAF's fighter jet shortage, leading to Rafale induction.