INDIAN 'HERO' ABHINANDAN TO BE HONOURED WITH COUNTRY'S HIGHEST AWARD; TAMIL NADU EXCITED!

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, aka the 'Indian Hero' who shot down Pakistan's F-16 combat jet during aerial fight on February 27 is likely to be awarded with Vir Chakra.

According to Hindustan Times reports, Varthaman is likely to be conferred with Vir Chakra while the five Mirage-2000 fighter pilots who dropped bombs on the terror facility of JeM in Balakot are set to be awarded the Vayu Sena medal for gallantry.

Vir Chakra is known to be the country's third-highest wartime gallantry award after the Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra. On the remarkable day, Indian 'Hero' Abhinandan had chased down the F-16 and shot it down.

Following the airstrike, Abhinandan was captured by Pakistan on February 27 after his MiG 21 Bison crashed inside Pakistan and later released on March 1. He could only be released after India put pressure on Pakistan from major powers in the world, including the US, the UK and France, Hindustan Times further reported.

Reacting over the same, Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), additional director general, Centre for Air Power Studies said that "If the awards are being announced on Independence Day, it will be an acknowledgement of the professionalism and courage displayed by the fighter pilots in missions where stakes were very high."