BrahMos missile misfire could have led to war with Pakistan: Centre tells court

The Delhi High Court is hearing a plea filed by a former Indian Air Force officer whose service was terminated in connection with the BrahMos missile misfire incident.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma appearing for the Centre told the court on Thursday that the misfire could have led to war with Pakistan. He added that the incident put India in an embarrassing position before the international community.

A BrahMos missile was accidentally fired on March 9, 2022 and landed in Pakistan’s territory. The services of three Indian Air Force (IAF) officers were terminated after a Court of Inquiry (CoI) found that deviation from the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by them led to the accidental firing of the missile.

One of the IAF officers had moved court against his termination.

WHAT DOES THE OFFICER’S PETITION SAY?

The IAF officer’s petition states that the accident occurred during a simulation exercise performed by the ‘A’ Flight of the 2403 Guided Weapons Squadron as part of a scheduled inspection visit by a Command Air Staff Inspection Team.

He said he was posted as an Engineering Officer to the Squadron on the day of the incident. He argued that he was given professional and practical training only for duties which were purely of a maintenance nature. He said that as an Engineering Officer, he was never imparted training on the conduct of operations, which is purely the role of the CO and Ops Officer.

According to the officer, he was not trained against the counts of blame apportioned to him in the Court of Inquiry and he acted in complete obedience to the standard operating procedures. Calling his termination order an “malafide” action, the ex-IAF officer said he had no experience of conducting operations and handling operational emergencies.