The Indian Air Force (IAF) has for the first time disclosed reasons behind the accidental firing of a BrahMos combat missile which landed in Pakistan in March 2022.
In a reply filed before the Delhi High Court, the IAF has said that combat connectors of the Brahmos missile “remained connected to the junction box” which led to the accidental firing of the missile.
Sharing relevant findings of the Court of Inquiry held in March 2022 to probe the incident, the IAF has further submitted that the convoy commander of a road convoy, which was to move to location as part of inspection “failed to ensure safe transit of convoy by not ensuring disconnection of combat connectors of all missiles loaded” on the mobile autonomous launcher prior to the movement.
The IAF has described the incident as one which had the “effect of affecting the relations” of India with Pakistan.
It has told the HC that a “conscious and considered decision” was taken to invoke the “President’s pleasure” clause to terminate the services of three officials.
In a reply, Wing Commander UN Pathak, Deputy Judge Advocate General, informed the court that “such a decision has been taken in the IAF after 23 years as facts and circumstances of the case warranted such action”.
The reply, reviewed by ET, states: “The fact that the international community was interested to know the important practical details” regarding the firing of BrahMos missile, the authorities decided that trial of the three officers “by a court martial was inexpedient”.
“Likewise, it was also decided that initiation of action under Section 19 of the Air Force Act, 1950, read with Rule 16 of the Air Force Rules, 1969, by issuing a showcause notice for dismissal/removal from the service would bring the sensitive and secret issues in full public domain which would be prejudicial to the security interests of the state,” the reply adds.
The Court of Inquiry held that the combat crew “knowing that the combat connectors of combat missiles are connected to junction box, failed to intervene to prevent the Mobile Autonomous Launcher commander from committing an unsafe act of launching Combat Missile…resulting in a launch of missile into the neighbouring nation, thereby causing potential threat to any airborne/ground object/personnel and also causing damage to the reputation of Indian Air Force and the nation at large and a loss of ₹24,90,85,000.00 to the government exchequer”.
These, the reply reads, were violations of “Combat op SOP” of March 2021.
The reply has been filed in response to a petition filed by Wing Commander Abhinav Sharma in the Delhi HC ascribing blame on the Air Commodore and Squadron Leader for “ignoring and overriding the safety precaution popups” and ignoring the “bright and conspicuous red colour warning regarding the danger of firing a live weapon”.
Denying the charge, the IAF has said that Air Commodore JT Kurien “was not responsible for the operations undertaken by the unit” as alleged by the petitioner.
The allegations levelled by the petitioner against Kurien have been described as “conjectures, surmises, bald, baseless and without any substantiating evidence” by the IAF.
Noteworthy, the IAF has denied the claim of Wing Commander Abhinav Sharma “that he was in no position to avert the firing of missile”.
Calling his claim as “completely false”, the IAF has said that “all activities had taken place inside the Mobile Autonomous Launcher in his (Sharma) presence and he was a witness to the actions being taken by the Ops officer”.
The reply has elaborated on the reason behind invoking “Doctrine of President’s Pleasure”.
The petitioner had alleged that the said doctrine was “invoked solely to obviate the procedure which has to be followed for Dismissal from Service for misconduct” as per Air Force rules.
The Court of Inquiry (in which 16 witnesses were examined) had blamed Group Captain Saurabh Gupta, Squadron Leader Pranjal Singh and the petitioner, who were part of the ‘Combat Team’, for “various acts of omission and commission leading to the firing of the missile”.
