A Sad Day in our History

The position CDS Bipin Rawat was in and the kind of death by the person responsible for the safety of the country is disturbing. CDS Bipin Rawat, died in a "helicopter crash" on 8 Dec 2021 (1 year after Galwan Valley clash & 2 days after Putin visit) at the age of  63. A new post of CDS was created and he was leading it only since 1st Jan. 2020.

Crashes have been common within the defence and outside. Film stars, politicians, scientists and armed force personnel's have died in crashes. It's sad and shocking but what is more scary is the highest official being in it, though equally or a greater loss is for the other families involved.

Rawat was being accompanied by his defence assistant, security commandos and Air Force personnel. The passengers included his wife, whom he would not have let join him, if he had even an iota of doubt, of any danger. Lt Col Harjinder Singh, Brig LS Lidder, NK Jitendra Kr, NK Gursewak Singh, L/Naik Vivek Kumar, L/Naik B Sai Teja and Hav Satpal where others with him.

What caused the Mi-17 crash? How many really know? Will we common Indians ever know what led to the end?

The Russian built Mi-17 is one of the world's most survivable helicopters. It has a heavily armoured skin which makes it highly resistant to sniper rifle fire and shoulder-fired heat seeking missiles – the favourite weapons of terrorists.

 There can only be 4 possibilities: maintenance failure, sabotage, overloading, accident. Let's do this.

1. Maintenance: CAG has criticised IAF's maintenance record. Fleet availability of IAF's Russian aircraft is well below American or French analogues. Plus, Russians have a poor record of supplying spares. This has forced IAF to buy low quality grey market spares from E.Europe.

2. Sabotage 1: Did the maintenance crews include Corrupt, anti-nationalist or Harmfuls? 

3. Sabotage 2: As first Chief of Defence Staff, General Rawat was doing overhauling India's fighting forces in preparation for a collusive two front war by Pak and China. India has given a bloody nose to both. Maybe they were feeling the pressure and decided to eliminate him. Few more thought below:

• First doubt is he is killed as a conspiracy by America
• Second china 
• third internal arms lobby
• forth sinowahabi alliance
• fifth Domestic Sabotage
• Sixth It was flying 1000km below where it should have flown - could have become uncontrolled. When the flight comes below standard limit, there is an alarm bell that rings, would it not have rang?
• Seventh In case of conspiracy whoever has done is an Indian

4. Overloading: In the Soviet Union, many tragic air crashes happened because the generals overloaded Air Force planes with personal goods. Pilots knew it was dangerous but they also knew it was dangerous to protest. Did something similar happen on General Rawat's trip?

5. Accident: Once you remove all the improbable scenarios, what remains, however strange, is the truth. A freak accident may well have crashed the Mi-17. There is SOP for flight operations and technician who has overlooked and manipulated can manipulate black box too with no evidence coming out. Failure due to Technical error is next to impossible,  (unless corrupt people  giving incorrect information),  human error could be possible, Explosion, ridge, deliberate malfunction, anything could be the reason.

More the tragedy, more the conspiracy theory. 

All doubts are reasonable but with no conclusive evidence. They say all these are credible  hypotheses.

Don't want to rush into conclusions but there is a genuine concern, why does IAF flights keep crashing? Inside blast or missile could be the reason. Even before MI17V5 had a crash before in 2017, in Arunachal Pradesh.

Here the pilot was experienced he was Wing Commanding officer, P.S Chauhan, he had two choices IFR Vs. VFR. 

IFR - Instrument Flying rule and VFR - Visual Flight rules - 1.5 kms, horizontal visibility is needed. 

The Leans. When the surrounding is not clear, the flight tend to not fly straight and bend. 

Pilots disorientation, Self induced pressure, Plan continuation was the reason for Kobe Bryant's death.

Black Box = Flight Data Recorder + Cockpit voice recorder, has been recovered, which will help disclose the truth. 

Micro wave,  laser wave weapons could be used to hit fuel tank

80% of our defence equipment are imported which is an unfortunate  situation

Many of our nuclear scientists  committed suicide  just like that, Punjab is now fully drug addicted, smuggling by china on northern borders are all time high.

While the Mi-17 V-5 is among the most sophisticated military transport helicopters, India's ageing air force fleet is often blamed for the high number of air crashes there.

More than 170 helicopter and plane pilots have died over three decades, AFP reports.

The air force is investing billions of dollars to replace older aircraft, but the procurement process has suffered delays and corruption. Hight time these are manufactured in India.  

On 11 Jan 1966, PM Shastri "died mysteriously" in Tashkent, two weeks later Bhabha died in a plane crash. Vikram Sarabhai succeeded Homi Bhabha & look after India's Nuclear progress & NPT negotiations. This was between Subhash Chandra Bose and Sanjay Gandhi's death. 

When India was making a move in Nuclear Power - Homi Bhabha died in a "plane crash" on 24 Jan 1966 (1.4 year after China tested 1st N-bomb & NPT negotiations begun), aged 56. Earlier, in Feb 1965, Bhabha had visited US to convince them for "peaceful nuclear deal" but US refused.

Both Bhabha & Sarabhai used to say that "Americans, Russians, British, Chinese & Pakistanis all were keeping an eye on us & tracking all our moves" - India had expected their 'assasination' & that's why provided them top notch security, but still couldn't save them.

Group Captain Varun Singh could well turn out to be the IAF's Tukaram Omble, although unlike Omble he may live. Our hope that the lone survivor recovers and is able to reveal the truth is also shattered now. He wrote To Students Of His School In September:

You may be mediocre in school but it is by no means a measure of things to come in life," he said. "Find your calling, it could be art, music, graphic design. literature etc. Whatever you work towards, be dedicated, do your best. Never go to bed thinking I could have put in more effort," he added.

The air warrior said he was an average student and barely scored first division in class 12, but had a passion for airplanes and aviation. "I write to you filled with a sense of pride and humility. On August 15 this year, I was awarded Shaurya Chakra by the President of India in recognition of an act of gallantry on October 12, 2020," he said.

"I credit this prestigious award to all those I have been associated with over the years in school, NDA and thereafter the Air Force, as I firmly believe that my actions that day were a result of the grooming and mentoring by my teachers. instructors and peers over the years," Group Captain Singh wrote in the letter dated September 18.

There are stories for each who died. What they have meant to the family and the loss. 

The helicopter crash, may be conspiracy, may be genuine. Indian army plane has history of dropping. Can only pray, God Save Humanity.