3 IAF officers sacked over accidental firing of Brahmos Missile into Pakistan

Mangalore Today News Network / News18

New Delhi, Aug 23, 2022: The central government on Tuesday terminated the services of three Indian Air Force (IAF) officers with immediate effect after they were held “primarily responsible" for the BrahMos missile misfiring incident that took place on March 9 this year. A Court of Inquiry has found that “deviation from the SOP" by the officers led to the accidental firing of the missile.

 

The Indian Air Force said, “Three officers have primarily been held responsible for the BrahMos missile misfiring incident on 9th March 2022. Their services have been terminated by Central Government with immediate effect. Termination orders have been served upon the officers today, August 23."

“A Court of Inquiry, set up to establish the facts of the case, including fixing responsibility for the incident, found that deviation from the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) by three officers led to the accidental firing of the missile," a closure report reads.

On March 11, the defence ministry said that India accidentally fired a missile on March 9 that landed in Pakistan and that the “deeply regrettable" incident was caused by a technical malfunction in the course of its routine maintenance.

The ministry had further said the government took a serious view of the incident and ordered a ‘Court of Enquiry’ into it.

“On March 9, in the course of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. The government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry. It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident," the defence ministry had said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Pakistan had said a high-speed projectile launched from India entered its airspace and fell near Mian Channu in Khanewal district. Islamabad had also summoned India’s Charge d’Affaires and conveyed its strong protest over the “unprovoked" violation of its airspace by the supersonic “projectile" of Indian origin.

The Pakistan foreign office had said the “super-sonic flying object" entered into Pakistan from India’s Suratgarh at 6:43 pm (PST) on March 9 and fell to the ground near Mian Channu city at around 6:50 pm, causing damage to civilian property.