'Accidental firing of BrahMos missile into Pakistan cost India Rs 24 crore,' Centre tells Delhi High Court

The accidental firing of the Brahmos missile into Pakistan last year cost the exchequer Rs 24 crore apart from straining relations between the two countries, the Centre told the Delhi High Court, as per a report by Hindustan Times.

The Union government was justifying the dismissal of three Indian Air Force officers including a Wing Commander for gross negligence, the report added.

The Centre was opposing a petition filed by Wing Commander Abhinav Sharma against termination from service, the report said.

“Considering the sensitive nature of the subject matter having widespread ramifications for the security of the State, a conscious and considered decision was taken in good faith to terminate the service of the petitioner under the President’s pleasure clause. Such a decision has been taken in the Indian Air Force after 23 years as facts and circumstances of the case warranted such action,” HT quoted the Centre as saying.

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The petitioner said that "he was imparted professional and practical training only for duties which are purely of maintenance in nature and not on the conduct of operations. He said he performed all his duties as per the Combat SOP governing the operations and that the cause of the incident was solely operational in nature."

The missile incident

On 9 March 2022, an unarmed BrahMos missile accidentally landed in Pakistan. No casualties were reported in the incident. Following the misfiring, Pakistan had summoned India's Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad to lodge a protest over "unprovoked violation of its airspace."

The Indian defence ministry had termed the incident "deeply regrettable".

"On March 9, in the course of routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile. The government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry," the defence ministry had said.

A joint India-Russia venture, BrahMos is a medium-range missile that can be fired from submarines, warships, aircraft, and land. Notably, BrahMos is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

With inputs from agencies

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