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Abhinandan Varthaman: Know the IAF officer, now a Vir Chakra awardee
Abhinandan Varthaman, now a group captain, had shot down a Pakistani F-16 during an aerial dogfight over the Line of Control (LoC) in February, 2019. The 38-year-old, hails from Tamil Nadu's Tiruvannamalai district.
Abhinandan Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday. With this, he has joined the long legacy of brave soldiers who were awarded for their bravery. The award was given at an investiture ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Varthaman, now a group captain, had shot down a Pakistani F-16 during an aerial dogfight over the Line of Control (LoC) on February 27, 2019.
Varthaman's citation read, “Displaying exceptional air combat acumen and knowledge of the enemy’s tactics, Abhinandan scanned the low altitude airspace with his airborne intercept (AI) radar and picked up an enemy aircraft that was flying low to ambush the Indian fighter interceptor aircraft... Abhinandan alerted the other formation pilots towards this surprise threat.”
Vir Chakra is India's third highest wartime gallantry award after Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra.
Varthaman picked up the rank of group captain earlier this month. A group captain in the Indian Air Force (IAF) is equivalent to a colonel in the army.
Varthaman is an alumnus of the Khadakwasla-based National Defence Academy. He was an accomplished Sukhoi-30 fighter pilot before being assigned to the MiG-21 Bison squadron.
He was captured by Pakistani forces after his MiG-21 aircraft was shot down during the dogfight in 2019. It took place a day after the Indian Air Force’s Mirage-2000s struck targets in Pakistan’s Balakot. Varthaman's release was announced by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, as “a peace gesture”.
The 38-year-old, who is married and has two children, hails from Tamil Nadu's Tiruvannamalai district but completed his education in Delhi because his father - a decorated and senior officer of the IAF - was posted in the capital.
His father, Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman, played a significant role during the 1999 Kargil conflict. His mother, Shobha, is a doctor.
Abhinandan Varthaman is also an alumnus of Sainik School Amaravathinagar in Tamil Nadu. He stayed at Tambaram in Chennai while pursuing the flying instructor's course there.
