IAF discloses reasons behind accidental BrahMos missile firing into Pakistan

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has for the first time disclosed reasons behind the accidental firing of a BrahMos combat missile which landed in Pakistan in March 2022...

In a reply filed before the Delhi High Court, the IAF has said that combat connectors of the Brahmos missile "remained connected to the junction box" which led to the accidental firing of the missile...

Sharing relevant findings of the Court of Inquiry held in March 2022 to probe the incident, the IAF has further submitted that the convoy commander of a road convoy, which was to move to location as part of inspection "failed to ensure safe transit of convoy by not ensuring disconnection of combat connectors of all missiles loaded" on the mobile autonomous launcher prior to the movement...

The Court of Inquiry held that the combat crew "knowing that the combat connectors of combat missiles are connected to junction box, failed to intervene to prevent the Mobile Autonomous Launcher commander from committing an unsafe act of launching Combat Missile...resulting in a launch of missile into the neighbouring nation, thereby causing potential threat to any airborne/ground object/personnel and also causing damage to the reputation of Indian Air Force and the nation at large and a loss of 24,90,85,000.00 to the government exchequer"...

The petitioner had alleged that the said doctrine was "invoked solely to obviate the procedure which has to be followed for Dismissal from Service for misconduct" as per Air Force rules.. The Court of Inquiry (in which 16 witnesses were examined) had blamed Group Captain Saurabh Gupta, Squadron Leader Pranjal Singh and the petitioner, who were part of the 'Combat Team', for "various acts of omission and commission leading to the firing of the missile"..

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