India sacks three officers for accidentally firing cruise missile into Pakistan

Delhi said it ‘deeply regretted’ the accidental fire blamed on ‘technical malfunction’

File A Brahmos supersonic cruise missile is on display at the International Maritime Defence Show in Saint Petersburg (AFP via Getty Images)

The Indian military has fired three Air Force officials after finding them guilty of accidentally launching a nuclear-capable BrahMos cruise missile that landed in Pakistan in March amid historically sour relations with the south Asian nation.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Indian Air Force said that a formal inquiry found that “deviation from the Standard Operating Procedures by three officers” caused the accidental fire of the missile into Pakistan.

“These three officers have primarily been held responsible for the incident. Their services have been terminated by the Central government with immediate effect,” the IAF said. “Termination orders have been served upon the officers on Aug 23, 2022.”

The ranks of the three sacked officials are reportedly group captain, wing commander and squadron leader.

A BrahMos missile - a land-attack medium-range stealth supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by Russia and India - was fired on 9 March this year from Haryana state and it landed near the town of Mian Channu in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province.

The missile damaged a wall in a residential area, but no deaths or injuries were reported.

Escalating the tensions between the two rival neighbours, the misfire reportedly led to Islamabad nearly launching a retaliatory strike, Bloomberg reported at that time, citing military sources in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s military said it was tracking the path of the missile from its launch and through its more than three-minute-long flight, violating Islamabad’s airspace.

It said that the missile took an altitude of 12,000m (40,000ft) and flew 124km (77 miles) - three times the speed of sound - in Pakistani airspace before it crashed.

It said the launch “endangered many passengers and international flights in Indian and Pakistani airspace” as well as “human life and property on the ground”.

Pakistani officials condemned the launch as a “flagrant violation” and demanded an explanation from India.

Delhi said the incident is “deeply regrettable” and said the accident occurred because of a “technical malfunction” during routine maintenance.

After the incident, defence minister Rajnath Singh said in parliament that India prioritised the “safety and security” of its weapon system and shortcomings would be worked upon.

“Moreover, our safety procedures and protocols are of the highest order and are reviewed from time to time,” he had said in his statement.

The BrahMos missile has a range between 300km (186 miles) and 500km (310 miles), according to the US-based Arms Control Association, making the weapon capable of striking Pakistan’s capital Islamabad from a launch pad in the northern part.

The relations between nuclear-armed nations that have fought three wars since gaining independence from British rule in 1947 strained even more in 2019 when India conducted an airstrike to raid what it said was a militant camp in the northwestern town of Balakot inside Pakistan.

Pakistan’s air force shot down an Indian warplane in the Pakistan-administered section of Kashmir and captured a pilot in response to the air raid.

The two countries are historically at loggerheads over the disputed territory of Kashmir that they control in parts but claim in full.