25 Yearsof Kargil Victory A Recall Courage Under Fire: A Mi-17 pilot’s account of Kargil war

 

 

 

FLYING is an exciting career. Some do it for pleasure. Some pursue it as passion. But, for some, it is a call of duty. Paramount among them all is the one who gets the opportunity to fly for motherland, says Wg Cdr Arvind Pande (retd), a hale and hearty quinquagenarian, while sharing with ‘The Hitavada’ wonderful anecdotes about his participation in various skirmishes with neighboring countries, particularly in Kargil War of 1999. Commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 1988 as a pilot officer after completing his training, his first posting was in 19 Air Wing, Guwahati. Starting his career with the Chetak helicopter, he also flew the Cheetah, Mi-8, and Mi-17 during his service tenure. But, he excelled at flying the Mi-17. In 1999, when Kargil War was forced upon India by Pakistan, he was with the 129 Helicopter Unit, Hindon near Delhi. Recalling memories of the time, Wg Cdr Pande told ‘The Hitavada’ that he was in his 40s at that time and used to fly the Mi-17.

 

Around May, things started heating up, and there was a lot of mobilisation. “Our unit, the Nubra Warriors, was given the task of operating from Srinagar Air Base, and six helicopters were positioned at the station. We were deployed for detachment from Srinagar along with another unit from Sarsawa,” he adds. In such circumstances, one cannot take things casually and has to remain alert and active. All the teams were busy in their regular drills at the base. It was not easy for them as the situation in the war zone was growing more tense with each passing day. “In mid-May 1999, we were ordered to be ready. Our team was there basically for detachment with Mi-17 helicopters. It is a misconception among many that helicopters cannot attack, but the Mi-17 can fire tremendously in any situation. This helicopter, which we were using at that time, had a capacity of six rocket pods, in which 192 rockets could be taken in a single sortie. The pilots of Hindon and Sarsawa were given the responsibility of attacks in Kargil and Tololing,” the then Squadron Leader Pande tells ‘The Hitavada’.

 

On May 25, the then Chief of Air Staff Anil Y Tipnis (retd) ordered the Indian Air Force to start their attacks on enemy-held positions the next day. “As per the orders, on May 26, me and my team carried out two attacks with five helicopters. Three of the helicopters attacked Tiger Hill, while the other two went to Tololing Peak. During the attack, fighter jets also were there. But, the Line of Control was just 7 km from the target. As the turning radius of fighter jets is more, there were chances of the jets crossing the Line of Control. So, they were forced to attack east-west, which was not so helpful because all the targets were on the north side. Hence, only helicopters were used,” recalls Wg Cdr Pande. The first attack was very successful, during which the helicopters went 17,000 feet above ground level, and from there saw enemy hidden in between rocks towards the north direction. After confirming, all three helicopters attacked them. At the same time, the other two launched missiles on Tololing. Within the next 48 hours, two more successful attacks were carried out.

 

The first one was on May 27 on Tololing Pt 4950 just above Drass. The another was on May 28 on Pt 5140, which was a dominating feature. “The Army told us that this could be a dangerous area and we needed to attack it so that we could capture it. For this attack on Pt 5140, we were supposed to take six aircraft, but unfortunately, two of them became unserviceable,” he says. As his CO sat into his helicopter, his chopper became ‘Number 1’, and now he was supposed to lead the attack! This was an opportunity to capture that peak, but another problem cropped up. Of the four choppers on attack mission, only Numbers 1, 2 and 4 had a Counter Missile Dispensing System (CMDS). Number 3 did not have it, and the pilot was aware that if something went wrong, he might get shot down. “Still, we flew. When we found the target, which was held by Pakistan, suddenly the Pakistan forces fired 32 missiles. Our aircraft Numbers 1 and 2, fired and left the spot as they had CMDS, but when Number 3 fired, which was supported by Number 4, a rocket fired by the enemy hit the starboard engine of the aircraft. Unfortunately, the aircraft was shot down, taking the lives of all four of our bravehearts.

 

After that incident, all helicopter attacks were stopped immediately,” says Wg Cdr Pande. Wg Cdr Pande, who joined the Indian Air Force with an NCC ‘C’ certificate and was one of the most experienced chopper pilots, was once again sent to the war zone on June 27 and was ordered to execute a night attack with a single aircraft. Recalling that experience, he says, “It is never easy to fly in the dark. It gets more difficult in the war zone. But, as it is said, practice makes a man perfect. I started practicing and got used to it within hours of flying. But, there was a twist again. When I went for the night attack, there was continuous firing and missiles were launched by the enemies. The glow of those missiles was so intense that it became very difficult to handle.

 

We still tried it the next day, but a missile hit my chopper. Thankfully, by God’s grace, nothing happened to me. After that, our team got to know that helicopters could be easy targets and the results also were not as per our expectations. Again, the helicopter attacks were stopped, and I was sent to Drass,” he elaborates. Asked about the best and the worst moments during the Kargil War, the 59-year- old veteran replies with a sad tone, “The most difficult and the worst moment was carrying the bodies of our soldiers and putting them into coffins. Tears roll down my cheeks when I recall this moment. What we have seen is something I will never forget in my entire life.” As far as the best moment for him is concerned, it was obviously when the news came that India had captured all the points and registered victory. “I must say the Indian Air Force did its work superbly. I feel where the Air Force stops, the Army’s work starts. Hats off to the Indian Army. Their contribution was a major part of this Kargil victory. I feel proud that I got an opportunity to serve the nation, and that too in a war-like situation,” concludes Wg Cdr Pande with unmistakable pride.