Abhinandan Varthaman is the only Mig-21 pilot to have shot down an F-16.
On Monday, November 22, Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman was awarded with the Vir Chakra award by President Ram Nath Kovind at an investiture ceremony for shooting down a Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft in February 2019.
He shot down an F-16 over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir during India's Balakot air strike but at the end he was taken captive by the Pakistan Army after his plane was shot down by enemy forces. Abhinandan was a famous and courageous Wing Commander.
Abhinandan Varthaman is credited to have been the only Mig-21 pilot ever to have shot down an F-16. Earlier the Indian Air Force promoted Abhinandan to the rank of Group Captain.
Abhinandan's unit 51 Squadron also received a unit citation for its role in thwarting the Pakistan Air Force's aerial attack on February 27, 2019. India had carried out the strikes in the vibrant response to a Jaish-e-Mohammed attack on a CRPF convoy.
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