Indian Air Force Ace Abhinandan Varthaman Awarded Vir Chakra For Shooting Down Pak F-16 Fighter Jet

Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra for shooting down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet in a dogfight on February 27, 2019.

Then a wing commander, Varthaman's MiG-21 Bison jet was shot down in Pakistan on February 27 while he was chasing Pakistani jets and he was subsequently captured.

Group Captain Varthaman was released on the night of March 1 after being held captive for more than 60 hours. His bravery was praised by everyone and he became an overnight hero.