New Delhi: Amid concerns over his security, the Air Force has posted out Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman from Srinagar to another important air base in the western sector along the Pakistan border.
“The posting order of the officer has been issued and he would soon be moving out of the Srinagar air base to his new place of posting,” government sources told ANI.
The new posting at the airbase, whose name has been withheld due to security reasons, is also a fighter base and if the officer is cleared for flying, he would be able to continue his flying duties, the sources said.
Wing Commander Varthaman is the only pilot in the world to have shot down an F-16 combat aircraft from his legacy MiG-21 Bison aircraft on February 27.
There were concerns over his security in Srinagar.
Pakistan’s F-16 fitted with AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles was shot down by Wing Commander Varthaman.
Despite Pakistan’s attempts to cover up the shooting down of its F-16, the Air Force released radar images and other proof that showed that the American-built plane was indeed taken out by the Indian pilot.
Earlier this week, Wing Commander Varthaman underwent medical tests at a Delhi-based facility for becoming eligible to fly the MiG-21s again.
He has flown different types of fighter aircraft in the Air Force including the Su-30MKI.
