1999 Pakistani Breguet 1150 Atlantic shootdown

Last updated

Pakistan Navy Atlantique shootdown
Part of Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts
Pakistan Navy Breguet 1150 Atlantic Asuspine-1.jpg
A Pakistan Navy Breguet 1150 Atlantic
Date10 August 1999
Location
Rann of Kutch
Result
Belligerents
Flag of India.svg  India Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan
Commanders and leaders
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(Prime Minister of India)
ACM Anil Tipnis
(Chief of Air Staff) 		Nawaz Sharif
(Prime Minister of Pakistan)
Adm. Fasih Bokhari
(Chief of Naval Staff)
Units involved

Air Force Ensign of India (1950-2023).svg  Indian Air Force

Naval Jack of Pakistan.svg Pakistan Navy

Strength
2 MiG-21 Bis 1 Atlantic-91N
Casualties and losses
None 5 naval officers killed
11 sailors killed

The Atlantique incident [2] occurred on 10 August 1999, when a Breguet Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft of the Pakistan Naval Air Arm was shot down by a MiG-21 fighter of the Indian Air Force over the Rann of Kutch, on the border between India and Pakistan. Sixteen Pakistani personnel including the pilots were killed as a result. [3] The episode took place just a month after the Kargil War ended, aggravating already tense relations between the two countries.

Contents

Foreign diplomats based in Pakistan who were escorted to the site by the Pakistan Army noted that the plane may have crossed the border. They also believed that India's reaction was unjustified. [4] Pakistan later lodged a compensation claim at the International Court of Justice, blaming India for the incident, but the court dismissed the case, ruling that it had no jurisdiction in the matter. [5] [6] [7]

Confrontation

The French-built Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic, c/n 33, flight Atlantic-91, of 29 Squadron, was one of the Pakistan Navy's frontline aircraft, used primarily for patrol and reconnaissance. [8] Atlantic-91 left Mehran Naval Base in Pakistan at 9:15 am PKT (9:45 IST). Indian Air Force ground radar picked up the plane as it approached the India-Pakistan border. [9] Two IAF MiG-21 interceptor aircraft of No. 45 Squadron, from the Indian airbase at Naliya in the Kutch region, were scrambled. [10] After a series of manoeuvres—with conflicting versions of events from both sides—the two fighter jets were given clearance to shoot down the Pakistani plane. [9] At 11:17 am IST (10:47 am PKT), nearly two hours after takeoff from Pakistan, the Atlantic was intercepted and an infrared homing R-60 air-to-air missile was fired at it by Squadron Leader P.K. Bundela, hitting the engine on the port side of the plane. [11]

Claims and counterclaims

The region in Kutch, (marked in red) where the incident took place Sir-Creek-locator.svg
The region in Kutch, (marked in red) where the incident took place

The event immediately sparked claims and counter-claims by both nations. Pakistan claimed that the plane was unarmed and the debris was found on Pakistan's side of the border, [12] and there was no violation of Indian airspace. According to the official Pakistan version of events, the plane was on a routine training mission inside Pakistan air space. [13] The Pakistani Prime Minister stated during the funeral service of the airmen that the shooting was a barbaric act. [14]

Enlarged map of the region showing Kori Creek and Sir Creek area, where the plane was shot down and wreckage was found respectively. Sir-Creek-map.svg
Enlarged map of the region showing Kori Creek and Sir Creek area, where the plane was shot down and wreckage was found respectively.

The Indian Air force claimed that the aeroplane did not respond to international protocol and that it acted in a "hostile" manner, [15] [16] adding that the debris of a downed aircraft could fall over a wide radius. [17] Indian sources also stated that Pakistan's Information Minister, Mushahid Hussein, was initially quoted as saying that the aircraft was on a surveillance mission. [17] India also alleged that the plane violated a bilateral agreement, signed by India and Pakistan in 1991, under which no military aircraft were to come within 10 kilometres (6.2 mi; 5.4 nmi) of the border [18] (although Pakistan claimed the Atlantic was not a combat aircraft). [4] Indian experts also questioned why a training mission was being carried out so close to the border, when all air forces conduct training flights in clearly demarcated training areas located well away from international boundaries. [19] According to them, the Pakistani claim was untenable since the primary role of the Atlantic is for operations over the sea and that to carry out a training flight over land deep inside foreign territory was an indication of its use in a surveillance role. [19] India displayed part of the wreckage of the Pakistani naval aircraft at New Delhi airport the next day. Pakistan stated that the wreckage was removed from its side of the border by Indian helicopters. [12]

While Pakistan said that the plane was unarmed and the debris was within Pakistani territory, India maintained that warnings had been given to the Atlantic and that its flight trajectory meant it could have fallen on either side of the border. According to the Indian version of events, the MiGs tried to escort it to a nearby Indian base, when the Pakistani aircraft turned abruptly and tried to make a dash for the border; it was only then that it was fired upon. India claimed that the debris was found in a radius of two kilometres (1.2 mi; 1.1 nmi) on either side of the border and that the intrusion took place 10 kilometres (6.2 mi; 5.4 nmi) inside the Kori Creek, which is Indian territory. Pakistan requested that the matter be taken up in the UN. Indian officials claimed that there had been previous violations in the area and pointed out that in the previous year a Pakistani unmanned surveillance aircraft had intruded 150 kilometres (93 mi; 81 nmi) inside the Indian border, coming close to the Bhuj air base before the IAF spotted it and brought it down with several missiles. [17]

Indian analysts state "flare-ups" in the Rann of Kutch region were routine, and despite bilateral agreements, both India and Pakistan had conducted air intrusions in the past. Thus, the fact that the Atlantic was shot down, despite coming close to the Indian border, came as a surprise. [17] Indian officials add that Pakistan military aircraft had violated Indian airspace at least 50 times since January 1999, showing videotapes of Pakistani Atlantics "buzzing", or flying provocatively near the Indian Navy's warships in the Indian Ocean. [20] Some Indian analysts stated that the Atlantic was nearly destroyed in 1983 on a similar encounter and noted other close encounters and violations from Pakistani naval planes. [21] [22] [23]

Some experts stated that the Atlantic was probably conducting a "probe" on India's air defence system, mainly the radar equipment in the border area; they advised that it was not part of any planned aggressive military action by Pakistan. [20] Foreign diplomats who visited the crash site noted that the plane "may have strayed into restricted space", and that Islamabad was unable to explain why it was flying so close to the border; they added that India's reaction to the incident was not justified. [4] Many countries, the G8, the permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as the western media questioned the wisdom behind Pakistan's decision to fly military aircraft so close to the Indian border. [24]

Rise in tensions

On the day following the attack, an IAF helicopter carrying journalists to the site of the attack was attacked by the Pakistan Marines with a surface-to-air missile. Pakistani officials asserted that two Indian jets had intruded into Pakistani airspace near the Atlantic wreckage site, along the border between the Indian state of Gujarat and Pakistan's Sindh Province, and were then fired upon by Pakistan marines. No damage was recorded as the missiles missed the target. The IAF thus aborted their mission and could safely return. The helicopter carrying the journalists also returned without any damage. [20]

Following this, and the rising tensions in the area coupled by the fact that the Sir Creek was a disputed territory, both the countries' militaries near the Rann of Kutch and nearby were put on high alert. [14] Pakistan sent a company of marines, equipped with both laser guided and infrared homing shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, to the site near the border. [25] Coming barely weeks after the Kargil Conflict where both nuclear armed countries fought high altitude warfare, this incident was seen with growing concern around the world. The US State Department termed the subcontinent as being in a state of "continued high-stakes tension." [14]

Lawsuit

The International Court of Justice dismissed Pakistan's case on the grounds that the court did not have jurisdiction. International Court of Justice HQ 2006.jpg
The International Court of Justice dismissed Pakistan's case on the grounds that the court did not have jurisdiction.

On 21 September 1999, Pakistan lodged a compensation claim at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, accusing India of shooting down a military aircraft. Pakistan sought about US$60 million in reparations from India and compensation for the victims' families. India's attorney general, Soli Sorabjee, argued that the court did not have jurisdiction, [26] citing an exemption it filed in 1974 to exclude disputes between India and other Commonwealth States, and disputes covered by multi-lateral treaties. [27] In the buildup to the case, India also contended that Pakistan had violated the 1991 bilateral agreement between Pakistan and India on air violations, which states: "Combat aircraft (including, bombers, reconnaissance aircraft, jet military trainer and armed helicopter) will not fly within 10 km of each other's airspace including air defence identification zone." [18]

On 21 June 2000, the 16-judge Bench headed by Gilbert Guillaume of France ruled, with a 14–2 verdict, upholding India's submission that the court had no jurisdiction in this matter. [5] [28] Pakistan's claims were dropped, without recourse to appeal, and the outcome was seen as a decision highly favourable to India. [6] [7] [29] The Pakistan government had spent close to 25 million Pakistani rupees (approx. $400,000) on the case. [30]

Aftermath

In India, the incident made the two pilots of the MiG-21s into instant heroes. [17] [31] On 8 October 2000, the prestigious Vayu Sena Medal was awarded to Squadron Leader P. K. Bundela. The medal was also awarded to Wing Commander V. S. Sharma (the fighter controller who tracked the Atlantic, guided the pilot and ordered him to attack the plane) and Squadron Leader Pankaj Vishnoi, the helicopter pilot who recovered a part of the Atlantic's debris from the marshy border regions of the Rann. [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts</span>

Since the Partition of British India in 1947 and subsequent creation of the dominions of India and Pakistan, the two countries have been involved in a number of wars, conflicts, and military standoffs. A long-running dispute over Kashmir and cross-border terrorism have been the predominant cause of conflict between the two states, with the exception of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, which occurred as a direct result of hostilities stemming from the Bangladesh Liberation War in erstwhile East Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan Air Force</span> Aerial service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when required, and a tertiary role of providing strategic airlift capability to Pakistan. As of 2024, as per the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the PAF has more than 35,000 active-duty personnel. PAF stands as the eight largest Air Force in the world. PAF is the largest Air Force of the Muslim world in terms of aircraft fleet. Its primary mandate and mission is "to provide, in synergy with other inter-services, the most efficient, assured and cost effective aerial defence of Pakistan." Since its establishment in 1947, the PAF has been involved in various combat operations, providing aerial support to the operations and relief efforts of the Pakistani military. Under Article 243, the Constitution of Pakistan appoints the President of Pakistan as the civilian Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), by statute a four-star air officer, is appointed by the President with the consultation and confirmation needed from the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Air Force</span> Aerial service branch of the Indian Armed Forces

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire which honoured India's aviation service during World War II with the prefix Royal. After India gained independence from United Kingdom in 1947, the name Royal Indian Air Force was kept and served in the name of the Dominion of India. With the transition to a republic in 1950, the prefix Royal was removed.

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Rann of Kutch</span> Salt marsh in Gujarat, India and Sindh, Pakistan; the greater part of the Rann of Kutch

The Great Rann of Kutch is a salt marsh in the Thar Desert in the Kutch District of Gujarat, India. It is about 7500 km2 in area and is reputed to be one of the largest salt deserts in the world. This area has been inhabited by the Kutchi people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo-Pakistani war of 1965</span> 1965 war between India and Pakistan

The Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, also known as the second India–Pakistan war, was an armed conflict between Pakistan and India that took place from August 1965 to September 1965. The conflict began following Pakistan's unsuccessful Operation Gibraltar, which was designed to infiltrate forces into Jammu and Kashmir to precipitate an insurgency against Indian rule. The seventeen day war caused thousands of casualties on both sides and witnessed the largest engagement of armoured vehicles and the largest tank battle since World War II. Hostilities between the two countries ended after a ceasefire was declared through UNSC Resolution 211 following a diplomatic intervention by the Soviet Union and the United States, and the subsequent issuance of the Tashkent Declaration. Much of the war was fought by the countries' land forces in Kashmir and along the border between India and Pakistan. This war saw the largest amassing of troops in Kashmir since the Partition of India in 1947, a number that was overshadowed only during the 2001–2002 military standoff between India and Pakistan. Most of the battles were fought by opposing infantry and armoured units, with substantial backing from air forces, and naval operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 35 Squadron IAF</span> Military unit

No. 35 Squadron IAF (Rapiers) was an electronic warfare and air superiority squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF). It was based at Bakshi Ka Talab Airforce Station, No. 35 Squadron came under the Central Air Command; and along with No. 108 Squadron formed an operational wing of the IAF. As of 2017, it was equipped with MiG-21M aircraft. The squadron was number plated in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sukhoi Su-30MKI</span> Indian fighter aircraft

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a two-seater, twinjet multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi and built under licence by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). A variant of the Sukhoi Su-30, it is a heavy, all-weather, long-range fighter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir Creek</span> Tidal estuary on the Indus River in India and Pakistan

Sir Creek, originally Ban Ganga, is a 96 km tidal estuary in the uninhabited marshlands of the Indus River Delta on the border between India and Pakistan. The creek flows into the Arabian Sea and separates Gujarat state in India from Sindh province in Pakistan. The long-standing India-Pakistan Sir Creek border dispute stems from the demarcation "from the mouth of Sir Creek to the top of Sir Creek, and from the top of Sir Creek eastward to a point on the line designated on the Western Terminus". From this point onward, the boundary is unambiguously fixed as defined by the Tribunal Award of 1968.

The Indian Air Force was established on 8 October 1932 independently of the army and navy and in a similar format to the British Royal Air Force. It had been a recommendation of the Skeen Committee, which had been tasked to look into demands for the Indianisation of the Indian army. Its first squadron was raised on 1 April 1933.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo-Pakistani air war of 1965</span> Armed conflict between India and Pakistan

During the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, the Indian and Pakistani Air Forces engaged in large-scale aerial combat for the first time. In the air war, which took place in September, both air forces conducted thousands of defensive and offensive sorties over Indian and Pakistani airspace. Both India and Pakistan claimed victory in the air war; Pakistan claimed to have destroyed 104 Indian aircraft and lost 19, and India claimed to have destroyed 73 Pakistani aircraft and lost 35 of its own. The air war ended in a stalemate.

Chir batti, chhir batti or cheer batti is a ghost light reported in the Banni grasslands, a seasonal marshy wetlands and adjoining desert of the marshy salt flats of the Rann of Kutch near the India–Pakistan border in Kutch district, Gujarat, India. Local villagers refer to the light as chir batti in the Kutchi-Sindhi language, with chir meaning ghost and batti meaning light.

The Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Great Rann of Kutch, Kutch district, Gujarat, India. It was declared a sanctuary in February 1986. It is the largest Wildlife Sanctuary in India regarding its size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan Naval Air Arm</span> Military Unit

The Pakistan Naval Air Arm is the naval aviation and military administrative branch of the Pakistan Navy.

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon has served the United States and the air arms of 25 other nations. Over 4,400 F-16s have been sold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 45 Squadron IAF</span> Military unit

No. 45 Squadron Indian Air Force is a Fighter Squadron internally based at Sulur AFS, Tamil Nadu. The squadron operates the indigenous HAL Tejas fighter from 1 July 2016. The squadron was initially based at Bangalore, Karnataka and later shifted to its main base in Sulur from 1 June 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 India–Pakistan border skirmishes</span> Series of armed skirmishes between India and Pakistan in Kashmir

The 2019 India–Pakistan border skirmishes were a series of armed clashes consisting of cross-border airstrikes and exchanges of gunfire between India and Pakistan across the de facto border in the disputed Kashmir region, which is subject to extensive territorial claims by both countries.

On 27 February 2019, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) conducted six airstrikes at multiple locations in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The airstrikes were part of the PAF military operation codenamed Operation Swift Retort and were conducted in retaliation to the Indian Air Force (IAF) airstrike in Balakot just a day before on 26 February.

Squadron Leader Prashant Kumar Bundela was a fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force who shot down Pakistan Navy Atlantic over the Rann of Kutch soon after the 1999 Kargil War. He received the prestigious Vayusena medal for this operation on 26 January 2000. He died in 2002 in a MiG-21 crash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Desert Hawk</span> Pakistani military operation in the Rann of Kutch

Operation Desert Hawk was the codename of a military operation planned and executed by the Pakistan Army in the Rann of Kutch area, the disputed area which was under Indian control from the long-standing status quo. The boundary of Rann of Kutch was one of the few un-demarcated boundaries pending since the 1947 partition of India.

References

  1. ↑ "The Nation: Atlantique Downing: Creek Crisis". Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2006.
  2. ↑ "The Atlantique Incident — Part 1 of 2 - HistoricWings.com :: A Magazine for Aviators, Pilots and Adventurers". HistoricWings.com :: A Magazine for Aviators, Pilots and Adventurers - A Magazine for Aviators, Adventurers and Pilots. 10 August 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  3. ↑ "16 dead as India shoots down Pakistani naval plane" . The Independent . 23 October 2011. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Pakistani plane "may have crossed border" Archived 18 October 2002 at the Wayback Machine 13 August 1999 BBC Retrieved on 23 July 2007
  5. 1 2 ICJ's Press Communique on the verdict Archived 15 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 23 July 2007.
  6. 1 2 India wins case against Pakistan Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine 21 June 2000 – The Tribune Retrieved on 23 July 2007
  7. 1 2 Pakistan dismayed over verdict: ICJ refuses to hear Atlantique case Archived 5 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine 21 June 2000 – Dawn wire service Retrieved on 23 July 2007
  8. ↑ Criminal Occurrence description at the Aviation Safety Network . Retrieved on 23 July 2007.
  9. 1 2 "The Atlantique Incident". 1999 Kargil Operations. Bharat Rakshak Indian Air Force. Archived from the original on 2 February 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2007.
  10. ↑ Air defence operations Archived 19 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine By Narendra Gupta. Taken from The Hindu 17 August 1999 Reproduced by Embassy of India in Washington Retrieved on 26 July 2007
  11. ↑ IAF Scores a Kill !!! Factual Account of Interception Archived 22 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine – Indian Air Force official page Retrieved on 26 July 2007
  12. 1 2 A Moiz (1999) Core Negativity Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Defence Journal, September 1999 Retrieved on 26 July 2007
  13. ↑ 21 September 1999 Application instituting proceeding Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Aerial Incident of 10 August 1999 (Pakistan v. India), International Court of Justice Case page Retrieved on 23 July 2007
  14. 1 2 3 "Can't Stop the Madness". Time. Vol. 154, no. 7/8. 23–30 August 1999. Archived from the original on 16 September 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2005. Alternate URL: "ASIANOW - TIME Asia | India-Pakistan: Tit for Tat | 8/23/99". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2013-12-17.
  15. ↑ IAF shoots down Pak intruder plane [ permanent dead link ]; Wednesday, 11 August 1999; EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE; The Indian Express Retrieved on 1 January 2010
  16. ↑ ATLANTIQUE DOWNING: Creek Crisis – The strange encounter in the Rann of Kutch leading to the shooting down of the Pakistani Altantique sets both countries on the path of confrontation again. Archived 22 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine ; By Vijay Jung Thapa; 1999/08/23; India Today Magazine
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 Creek Crisis by Vijay Jung Thapa and Aahid Hussain and Uday Mahurkar Archived 22 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine 23 August 1999 India Today Retrieved on 23 July 2007
  18. 1 2 Agreement Between India and Pakistan on the Advance Notice of Military Exercises Archived 22 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine – Hosted on Henry L. Stimson Center Retrieved on 23 July 2007
  19. 1 2 Atlantic mission had been cleared at the highest levels By Air Commodore Jasjit Singh Archived 19 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine Published in The Indian Express 12 August 1999. Hosted on Embassy of India in Washington webpage
  20. 1 2 3 Pamela Constable and Kamran Khan, Pakistan Attacks Indian Aircraft in Border Region Archived 19 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine 12 August 1999, Washington Post Retrieved on 23 July 2007
  21. ↑ Pakistani recce aircraft shot down (Asia-Pacific Report)by S. Mallegol Archived 4 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine Journal of Electronic Defense 1 September 1999 Retrieved on 23 July 2007
  22. ↑ Cold War in the Arabian Sea Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Vijay Sakhuja, Research Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses Retrieved on 23 July 2007
  23. ↑ Confidence Building Measures in South Asia – The Maritime Angle Archived 12 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine DOC Retrieved on 23 July 2007
  24. ↑ Zehra, Nasim. "Islamabad's Post-Kargil Challenges". Defence Journal. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  25. ↑ Atlantique wreckage image gallery with Archived 27 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine pictures of Pakistani soldiers Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine using infrared Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine and laser guided Archived 3 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine RBS 70 and Mistral missiles Retrieved on 23 July 2007
  26. ↑ ICJ begins hearing on Pak complaint Archived 2 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine 4 April 2000 – The Tribune Retrieved on 10 September 2007
  27. ↑ ICJ verdict on jurisdiction in Atlantique case today [usurped] 21 June 2000 – The Hindu Retrieved on 10 September 2007
  28. ↑ Judgment of 21 June 2000 Jurisdiction of the Court Archived 5 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 23 July 2007
  29. ↑ World court blow for Pakistan Archived 28 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine BBC 21 June 2000 Retrieved on 23 July 2007
  30. ↑ Govt comments sought in Atlantique case Archived 22 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine 17 July 2002 – Pakistan's Dawn.
  31. ↑ Report on Bundela's critical condition who was "a national hero" – 11 June 2002 NDTV Retrieved on 23 July 2007
  32. ↑ Vayusena Medal (VM) Archived 6 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine Bharat Rakshak Retrieved on 22 July 2007
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.