Military court recomends IAF officer’s dismissal for shooting down own chopper

A military court has recommended the dismissal of an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer for shooting down a Mi-17 helicopter as it approached the Srinagar Air Force station in February 2019 in the aftermath of the Balakot airstrikes.

The Court of Inquiry (CoI) found the officer – Group Captain Suman Roy Chowdhury – guilty of violation of the standard operating procedures and taking the call to shoot down the helicopter that led to the death of six IAF personnel and a civilian, as per reports.

Group Captain Chowdhury, then serving as the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the Srinagar Air Force Station, was found guilty of five of the nine allegations, including disobeying the Air Headquarters’ directive that all aircraft flying north of latitude 3200 N must operate with Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) enabled.

The IFF system on board the helicopter was switched off and there were “vital gaps” in communication and coordination between the ground staff and the crew of the chopper. Standard operating procedures were violated by the crew, as per media reports.

The IFF helps air defence radars identify whether an aircraft or helicopter is friendly or hostile.

Meanwhile, Punjab and Haryana High Court has put a stay order against the implementation of the General Court Martial (GCM) after the IAF officer approached it for the same.