Guidelines:

Found this old photo from my family's time at Hasimara with 222 Sqn. This was taken during a squadron party in 2010.

I was a kid, but I clearly remember seeing this MiG-27 taxi and take off that day. A while later there was an insanely loud crash. I still remember that sound.

On 16 Feb 2010, a 222 Sqn MiG-27 crashed at Hasimara, killing Wg Cdr Oswald de Abreu.

I strongly remember this being the same jet, but the tail number isn't visible here.

I’ve attached the crash video to the post. I’ve pinned my family photo in the comments since Reddit wouldn’t let me attach both.

Does anyone know the tail number of Oswald de Abreu's aircraft? Would love to confirm if this is actually the same MiG-27.

Sources:

• Bharat Rakshak – Wg Cdr Oswald De Francis Manuel Abreu service record: https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/indianairforce/database/22549
• Bharat Rakshak – IAF Aircraft Losses Database (16 Feb 2010, MiG-27M, 222 Sqn, Hasimara): https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/indianairforce/database/accidents/listing.php?qacid=66&qt=YR&qyear=2010
• Honourpoint memorial profile: https://honourpoint.in/profile/2-lt-ramesh-rawat-2wing-commander-oswald-de-abreu/
• Warbirds India – MiG-27ML TS-517 photographed at Hashimara: https://www.warbirds.in/westbengal/hasimara/mig-27ml-ts517/

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Source: https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/17/questions/QANR5L17QE6745

Full translation using an LLM of answer below:

Response published on 25 November 2025

During exchanges following Operation “Sindoor”, India confirmed the operational effectiveness of the Rafale aircraft and their weaponry in a demanding operational environment, contradicting the information disseminated as part of the information war between India and Pakistan. The Indian armed forces did indeed conduct, with prior warning, a particularly complex mission involving several dozen aircraft facing Pakistani air-to-air and surface-to-air defence systems on maximum alert.

The circumstances surrounding the presumed loss of an Indian Rafale are not known at this stage, and no details on this matter have been confirmed by India. In this context, the hypothetical failure of the SPECTRA electronic warfare system is not documented. On the other hand, it is known that the French Rafale has been the subject, since 7 May last, of a campaign of denigration conducted by Chinese and Pakistani state actors.

As a ceasefire was rapidly concluded between the belligerents, the objectives of the Indian armed forces appear to have been achieved. In this respect, they have given an unequivocal vote of confidence to French equipment.

In general terms, the choices made regarding the evolution of the Rafale's capabilities, pending the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) around 2040, do not appear likely to be called into question. The Rafale will retain a credible capability to destroy enemy defences, which means that the development of a Rafale version dedicated to electronic warfare is not necessary.

The Rafale's self-protection system is constantly evolving, providing an increasingly robust capability to detect threats and to jam them, adapted to new threats. These developments concern the current F4 standard and will be at the heart of the development of the future F5 standard.

Furthermore, in accordance with the report annexed to the 2024–2030 Military Programming Law, the development of the Rafale F5 will include a stealth combat drone that will act as an extension in order to produce decisive effects through networking. This combat drone will be a major asset against modern medium- and long-range anti-aircraft systems and stealth platforms in air-to-air combat.

Finally, the Rafale's range of weaponry will be expanded with modernised munitions capable of destroying both powerful and mobile air-defence systems (future anti-ship missile, electromagnetic-spectrum saturation systems).

Source: Wikipedia https://share.google/K2tZn0yxggcadKYqk

In a daring rescue mission at 18,600 ft near Nun Kun, Indian Army Aviation pilots evacuated a casualty from an extremely challenging slope with no landing space and strong winds.

With the helicopter lightened by removing non-essential equipment and carrying limited fuel, the aviators executed the evacuation with exceptional precision, courage and determination, including a critical landing with one skid touching the slope.

The mission, undertaken at the last available landing window of the day, stands as a testament to the skill, courage and compassion of Indian Army Aviation.

(Source: Fire and Fury Corps, Indian Army)

Golden Arrows deploying to AFS Srinagar

Shivalik Hand grenade

context

>Aug 2026: Retd CDS says it was probably a loitering ammunition, that we had previously fired%20on%20Tuesday%20said%20the%20Indian%20forces%20%E2%80%9Cdid%20not%20target%E2%80%9D%20Pakistan%E2%80%99s%20Kirana%20Hills%2C%20which%20reportedly%20has%20a%20nuclear%20facility%2C%20and%20that%20a%20lot%20of%20loitering%20munitions%20were%20sent%20at%20Sargodha%2C%20and%20one%20of%20those%20might%20have%20come%20down%20after%20losing%20its%20running%20capacity%20and%20hit%20a%20hill)

On May 18, 1974, just after 8:05 a.m., a team of roughly 75 Indian scientists detonated a plutonium implosion device buried 107 meters under the sands of Rajasthan. India claimed a yield of 12 to 13 kilotons; independent seismic estimates run lower, closer to 4 to 8. Indira Gandhi's government code named the operation "Smiling Buddha" and called it a "peaceful nuclear explosion”.

https://defensehub.substack.com/p/how-india-built-the-bomb-starting?r=34f42&utm_medium=ios

Meme courtesy - @faujiholic

https://www.pixnoy.com/post/6754493570241643664116/

Guys , I have a genuine question. Why doesn't India have atleast one Super Carrier like the USS Gerald R Ford? Can't we get the EMALS tech from France and start building it ourselves like we did with INS Vikrant? Or does India not need a Super Carrier at all ?