ISLAMABAD -Indian Air Force had planned airstrikes against PakistanMilitary Brigade across LoC, revealed former IAF Chief.
In a big revelation post retirement, former (IAF) chief BS Dhanoalink has said that India would haveattacked Pakistan Armylink installationsif Pakistan Air Forcelink hadsuccessfully hit Indian targets on February 27 (a day after India’s strikeon terror camp in Balakot link).
“Since the PAF had targeted military installations on the 27th of February(a day after India struck the Jaish-e-Mohammed camp near Balakot), thePakistan Army had now become a legitimate target and had their strikes beensuccessful, we would have put a considerable weight of attack on theirforward brigades,” Dhanoa said during a discussion on ‘Understanding TheMessage of Balakot’ in Chandigarh, the Economic Times has reported.
That means, India was ready to escalate the attacks against Pakistan bytargeting major Pakistani forward brigades, not just posts along the LoC.
In its retaliatory attack against India’s strike in Balakot, Pakistan AirForce was not able to hit a single military installations in Jammu andKashmir’s Rajouri-Poonch sector despite launching precision guided bombs onFebruary 27.
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However, former Air Chief Marshal regretted that India “could not imposesignificant costs on the PAF on the 27th of February” due to technologicaldisadvantage and added the people responsible for delay in upgradation ofIndian defence capabilities are equally responsible for this missedopportunity.
He said that the biggest lesson from the limited period engagement ofBalakot was that “technology matters”.
