Pakistan Air Force F-16s

Muhammad Salman Baig (www.sulman4paf.tk)

Sqn. Ldr. Athar Bukhari of No. 14 Squardon became the first PAF pilot to shoot down a Russian aircraft. On August 04, 1988, Sqn. Ldr. Bukhari was asked to patrol near Bannu at a height of 10,000 ft. He was vectored on a heading of 300 degrees, and the controller reported the target 30 degree left, 15 NM. The contact was made and the GCI controller clearly told Bukhari to go ahead and shoot the target. The missile was launched from about 2.5 NM from the target which was soon followed by a ball of fire. Descending to 5,000 feet, and dispensing chaff and flares, the pilot then took a safe passage home.The wreckage of the shot down aircraft was located, but not the pilot. The tribal people caught him the next evening and handed him over to the authorities. His name was Colonel Alexander Rutskoi who later became the Vice President of the Russian Federation. Both the pilot and the controller displayed calm professional competence in shooting down the first Soviet-piloted Su-25 aircraft at night. It was an excellent example of pilot-controller teamwork.