The 24-hr run-up to Balakot

Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
Gwalior, June 24

Just 24 hours before the Indian Air Force launched the airstrikes on Balakot in Pakistan, the Mirage 2000 fighter jet base at Gwalior was abuzz with activity.

The young pilots knew something was on since they had been sent on regular combat air patrols at night. Like all other fighter bases in North India, Gwalior was on operational readiness after the February 14 terror attack on a CRPF convoy, that killed 40 troops at Pulwama.

Around 4 pm on February 25, things became clear when technical teams started to ‘feed’ the Spice 2000 bombs with geo-coordinates of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp, which was finally attacked some 12 hours later at 3.30 am on February 26.

A small chip in the Spice 2000 holds the key information on how the bomb will travel and hit the target. After its release, it travels on an inbuilt ‘seeking device’ to hit the target. “No target was missed,” say the teams.

The town hosts three squadrons of Mirage 2000 — BattleAxes, Tigers, Wolfpack. 

That night, the strike pack flew off at 2 am, like on a combat patrol. A small number of Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter jets showed up at the western front over Rajasthan. In this backdrop, the Mirage pilots flew almost behind the Himalayan ridge line to avoid Pakistani radars.

The last “90 seconds” of the mission meant every  communication equipment was switched off. The pilots then turned back. Some landed at Agra, some at Adampur. Their mates back in Gwalior were all smiles,  this was the first hit into Pakistan since the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

For feb 26 air attack

The Mirage 2000 jets were armed with two separate types of Israeli ammunition.  While the Spice 2000 is designed to penetrate deep inside the structures, the Crystal Maze was to send back video feed.

When pak tried to repeat kargil in 2002

Gwalior: The IAF on Monday publically admitted that Pakistan tried to repeat a Kargil-type intrusion in July-August 2002, but was rebuffed. IAF jets straffed Pakistan occupation some 3-4 kms on the Indian side of Line of Control in ‘Kel’ sector in north-west part of J&K. Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar, who is commanding Central Air Command, said, “We wanted to send a message without declaring war. It was a secret affair.” TNS