India-Pakistan Tensions: Did you know Pakistan once shot down its own F-16 fighter jet? Read the story behind the Pakistani pilots' act of ‘foolishness'

India.com

09-05-2025

New Delhi: The tensions between India and Pakistan are rising with every passing day. The government on Friday said that Pakistan military likely used Turkish drones in that attack on Indian cities on May 8. While addressing the media, the government said that preliminary forensic analysis of debris recovered from downed drones suggests they were Turkish-made 'Asisguard Songar' models, commonly deployed for surveillance and precision strikes. In the midst of this, we bring you an interesting story from history — a time when Pakistan shot down its own F-16 fighter jet. Considered to be one of the world's most advanced multirole fighter jets, the F-16 was used to shoot down a fellow aircraft — a blunder that can only be described as a strategic embarrassment. This is exactly what the Pakistan Air Force did.
It was in the yaer 1987 when this incident took place, when Pakistan's F-16s shot down another F-16 mid-air. This happened during a time when the Soviet Union was waging war in Afghanistan. Clashes between Soviet aircraft and the Pakistan Air Force often occurred near the Pakistani border. The Afghan Air Force was backed by the Soviet Union, while Pakistan's Air Force, at the behest of the United States, was fighting against Soviet forces in the region. Afghan Air Force Against the Soviet Union
Two F-16 jets from Pakistan Air Force's 14th Squadron were ordered to intercept four Russian MiG-23 aircraft that were on a bombing mission in Afghanistan. As the Pakistani F-16s climbed from low altitude to engage the MiG-23 formation, a critical mistake occurred. One Pakistani pilot mistook the other F-16 as an enemy aircraft.
The operation was led by Wing Commander Amjad Javed, while the second F-16 was being flown by a pilot named Flight Lieutenant Shahid Sikandar. During the attack, an AIM-9P Sidewinder missile fired from Amjad Javed's aircraft struck the right wing of Shahid Sikandar's F-16 instead of targeting a MiG-23.
'Although pilot Shahid Sikandar managed to save his life in time by activating the ejection seat right after the missile struck the F-16, the aircraft was reduced to debris. The most shocking aspect was that, at the time, the F-16 was considered the world's most advanced fighter jet, equipped with state-of-the-art systems. This system identifies targets using an electronic beam and confirms before launching a missile whether the approaching aircraft is an enemy or a friend.
Immediately after the incident, the Afghan Air Force claimed it had shot down the Pakistani F-16. However, when the wreckage was examined, it was discovered that the crash occurred due to the pilot's foolish mistake. The investigation revealed that the jet's sensor, which distinguishes between friendly and enemy aircraft, had failed to function. But Pentagon officials remained skeptical of this theory for a long time