Mig 21 Bison  

Abhinandan, who was flying a MiG-21 Bison, shot down an F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan Air Force by firing an air-to-air missile before his plane was hit during a fierce dogfight

India has already handed Pakistan a dossier about Jaish-e-Mohammed’s complicity in the Pulwama attack of February 14 and about the presence of terror camps and terrorist leaders on Pakistani soil

Earlier, Pakistan had been denying having used its F-16 aircraft to violate Indian airspace in retaliation to the Indian air strikes in Balakot.

On February 27, the ministry of external affairs confirmed that India had lost a MiG-21 Bison aircraft during an air-to-air engagement with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets following the non-military, pre-emptive air strikes in Balakot

The ministry of external affairs on Wednesday India had lost a MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft during an air-to-air engagement with Pakistan Air Force jets following the non-military, pre-emptive air strikes in Balakot. It also said that the pilot was “missing in action”.  

While India has confirmed that a pilot of MiG-21 Bison that was involved in thwarting an attack by PAF is missing and that the IAF has shot down a Pakistani F-16, the MEA is yet to ascertain the facts pertaining to pilot Abhinandan Varthaman