Tales of Glory | Squadron Leader PK Bundela, MiG-21 pilot who shot down Pakistan Navy Atlantique days after Kargil War

Penned by an NDA coursemate, this is one of a series of stories on officers of the Indian Armed Forces who gave their all to the Motherland. We shall be publishing these stories over the next year on the date these bravehearts performed in the highest traditions of the Indian Armed Forces but left us forever.

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The famous quote of Epictetus — 'Skilful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempest' — perfectly describes the professional competence of one of the finest fighter pilots of the Indian Air Force, Squadron Leader Prashant Kumar Bundela, Vayu Sena Medal.

Piloting a MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft at 11,500 feet above mean sea level (MSL) on 4 April 2002, as Sqn Ldr Bundela was looking at the infinite expanse of the sky that surrounded him in all directions, he must have been reminded of when he had shot down a Pakistan Navy Atlantique aircraft. Little did this air warrior know he was living his last moments.

Bundela belonged to Bagar, a quaint town in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan. As a child, Bundela was fascinated by the Indian Air Force (IAF) planes that overfly Bagar. At a young age, he knew what his calling would be— a fighter pilot in the IAF.

Such was his passion that his parents could not but support him. One day a distant uncle who had retired from the IAF came over to their house. Young Bundela got very excited on knowing that his uncle had served in the Air Force. Bundela asked his uncle endless questions about life and times in the Indian Air Force. His uncle advised him to attempt the Sainik School, Chittorgarh, entrance examination, as enrolling in this coveted school would provide him an ideal platform for attempting the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla entrance examination.

For a motivated Prashant both the Sainik School, Chittorgarh entrance examination and the NDA entrance examination proved to be \child’s play, and he successfully cracked both of them.

In Sainik School, Chittorgarh, he was in Sanga House and here Prashant excelled in cross-country running and athletics. At the NDA, as part of the 79 NDA Course, he was in Golf Squadron. He was amongst the most generous and brave in the Squadron and would personally help those weak in cross-country and physical training tests. He loved sleeping in the balcony which was situated on the second floor of the Golf Squadron building, though it was not officially allowed, as seeing the open skies before sleeping made him feel closer to being a pilot.

Bundela would always volunteer to carry the heaviest loads, apart from the battle gear that all had to mandatorily take.

After passing out from NDA on 1 December 1990 and the Air Force Academy, Hyderabad on 14 December 1991, Bundela was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot. Bundela soon proved his mettle and was an indispensable member of every squadron that he was part of.

Nine years into commissioned service, and destiny came calling on Bundela. On 10 August 1999, just a few days after the Kargil war had ended on 26 July 1999, an air defence controller identified an intruder in Indian airspace: a Pakistan Navy Atlantique aircraft. Immediate orders were issued after the aircraft had been identified as hostile.

At 11.05 am, two MiG-21 aircraft took off from the Naliya airbase in Gujarat. The mission as per the scramble order was to climb to 6 km and head north towards the hostile intruder. Sometime later the mission was asked to descend to 1,500m to avoid being picked up by the Pakistani radar.

Suddenly the hostile intruder went back into Pakistani airspace. The mission continued with its Combat Air Patrol as the skies were not yet declared safe. After 15 minutes the hostile intruder re-entered the Indian Air Space, this time from a point close to the Arabian Sea.

The MiGs was ordered to intercept. The Atlantique was about 40 km away. In minutes, the MiGs were on to the hostile intruder.

Bundela, the lead pilot of the patrol, began closing in on the intruder while the other MiG covered his approach.

At 11.14 am, Prashant confirmed a lock on the hostile intruder. At 11.16 am he visually confirmed the hostile intruder after seeing the markings of the Pakistan Navy aircraft as he was 2.1 km away from the hostile intruder. At 11.17 am orders were issued to engage the hostile intruder.

At 11.18 am Prashant shot down the plane and as he transmitted: “MISSILE GONE. LEFT ENGINE ON FIRE. BREAKING OFF 120.” Cheers broke out in the Air Defence Control room.

The Atlantique aircraft crashed at 11.23 am.

Squadron Leader Prashant Kumar Bundela was awarded the prestigious Vayu Sena Medal (VM) for this act of gallantry on 26 January 2000.

On 4 April 2002, Bundela was on a training sortie from Adampur to Halwara along with his co-pilot, Flight Lieutenant SK Nayak, in a MiG-21 Bison. Somewhere over Jalandhar, the aircraft's engine began sputtering from an apparent lack of fuel; it soon flamed out, that is went dead. Both pilots ejected. While Nayak parachuted safely, Bundela landed on his neck. He was paralysed due to spinal injuries and after struggling valiantly for months in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Command Hospital, Pune, he made the supreme sacrifice of his life on 19 August 2002 .

As a mark of tribute and respect to Squadron Leader Prashant Kumar Bundela, the Rajasthan government has constructed a memorial in his honour and memory in Bagar.

Aleister Crowley comes to mind while thinking about Squadron Leader Prashant Kumar Bundela: “The people who have really made history are the martyrs.”

The writer who retired from the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army is an alumnus of NDA, Khadakwasla and IIT Kanpur. He Tweets and Koos at @JassiSodhi24. Views expressed are personal.

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