An Indian Air Force fighter jet on Wednesday “inadvertently” dropped an “air store” near Pokhran field firing ranges in Rajasthan. The “air store” refers to external equipment or munitions, missiles, and bombs attached to a fighter jet. The IAF confirmed the incident in a social media post on X, saying that no damage to life or property has been reported. The Air Force said, “An inert air practice store was inadvertently released from the fighter due to a technical malfunction,” without specifying whether it was a bomb, missile or some other weapon. “An inquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident,” it added.
An inadvertent release of an air store from an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft took place near Pokhran firing range area, due to technical malfunction, today. An enquiry by the IAF has been ordered to investigate into the incident. No damage to life or property has been…
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) August 21, 2024
The accident occurred in a remote, uninhabited area far from densely populated regions. According to the local police, a loud explosion resulted in an eight-foot-deep crater. The armed forces regularly test their weapons and conduct firing exercises at Pokhran. Both the Army and the IAF have different firing ranges in the area. The Pokhran Firing Range is situated in the Thar desert, an isolated region used by the Indian Armed Forces for testing weapons and conducting firing exercises.
Prior to the second phase of the “Tarang Shakti” multi-nation air combat exercise, set to commence in Jodhpur on 29th August, IAF fighters stationed at various air bases have been training for air-to-ground bombing missions at the firing ranges in Pokhran. In April, the Indian Air Force conducted its largest exercise, ‘Gagan Shakti,’ at the Pokhran Firing Range in Jaisalmer. This exercise involved all major Indian Air Force fighter jets, helicopters, and aircraft.
The incident was relatively minor compared to the accidental launch of a 290 km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. This missile landed 124 km inside Pakistan, launched by an IAF ground unit on 9 March 2022. The unarmed BrahMos, which is a conventional precision strike weapon, had crashed harmlessly near Mian Chunnu town in the Khanewal district of Punjab, Pakistan, within seven minutes of the launch. Indian authorities quickly acknowledged the incident as an accident, attributing it to a “technical malfunction” during routine maintenance. This incident could have led to a serious confrontation.
Team BharatShakti
