More than one IAF official responsible in accidental missile firing, action to be taken soon

The Indian Air Force inquiry has blamed more than one official for accidental missile firing in Pakistan. The punishment will be announced soon.

Acting swiftly towards fixing accountability, the Indian Air Force inquiry into the BrahMos accidental missile firing incident has blamed more than one official for the mishap. A missile was launched accidentally by Indian Air Force personnel on March 9 evening and landed in Pakistan without causing much damage to life or property as it was unarmed.

“The inquiry by Vice Air Marshal RK Sinha has found more than one official from the missile squadron blameworthy. Quick action would be taken against them and they would soon be dealt with strictly,” top government sources told India Today.

The Air Headquarters has said to take strong measures to ensure that such incidents don’t happen again and all standard operating procedures are followed by all personnel while on duty. The BrahMos missile was accidentally fired from an airbase in north India and landed inside Pakistan at a place called Mian Channu. The Pakistan government had registered its objection over the incident but much before that, an investigation had been launched by India.

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Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Rajnath Singh said, “A missile was accidentally launched on March 9. The incident occurred during a routine inspection. We later came to know that it had landed in Pakistan. I would like to inform the House that the government has taken serious note of the incident. A formal high-level inquiry has been ordered. The inquiry would determine the exact cause of the said accident,” he said. “Thankfully, no damage was reported due to the accidental launch of the missile,” he added.

“Our operations, maintenance, and inspections are conducted following a set of standard operating procedures, which are being evaluated. Any laxity found in the safety and security of our weapons systems will be dealt with immediately. Our missile system is extremely trustworthy and secure. Our armed forces are experienced in handling such systems,” he said.

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