An Incident That Must Shame The Indian Air Force

The history of warfare is replete with glorious sagas of bravery and courage. The IAF is no exception and tales like the Indian Pilot  NS Sekhon, taking on 6 sabre jets over Srinagar during the 1965 war are there to inspire. But certain incidents do bring shame and one of them concerns Squadron Leader Sikand. Sikand was piloting a Gnat aircraft over Pakistan during the 65 war. The war was then in full swing and the IAF was having a hard time against the Pakistan Air Force.

Sikand however did something that has no parallel in the history of air warfare. Even a study of the the various air wars, one will be hard put to find a similar incident. Sikand flew for some time and landed his aircraft at a disused air strip in Pakistan.  This landing has never been fully explained. Sikand himself says that he mistook the airfield for an Indian airstrip and landed.This is hard to digest as Sikand had flown in the IAF for many years and was well conversant will all the airfields in the Punjab, where the main air battles were being fought.

The Pakistan version is that perhaps Sikand at the corner of his mind, anticipated a interception by the PAF F104, Star fighter and panicked and landed at the airfield. He was promptly captured and made a POW. The Air Force top brass were aghast at this and promptly dismissed Sikand. The aircraft became a war booty of the PAF and even now is displayed in the PAF Air Museum at Karachi.

The action of Sikand does not end here as for some inexplicable reason he was reinstated and rose to become an Air Marshal. It was rumored that his connection in the political establishment brought about his turn around. But despite anything the record of landing at a Pakistan air field at the height of a war is reprehensible. The IAF will take a long time to live down this act of shame.