Kargil Exclusive: Israeli Air Force Veterans Reveal Secret Mission That Helped India Win The War

Twenty-seven years after the Kargil War, on the eve of Kargil Vijay Diwas, NDTV brings a big exclusive. For the first time, two former Israeli Air Force officers, speaking to Indian media for the first time, reveal how Israel quietly armed the IAF’s fighter jets during Operation Vijay and Operation Safed Sagar, turning the tide against Pakistan in 1999. Ami, a former Program Manager at Rafael and ex-Israeli Air Force officer, and Shlomo, a former Israeli Air Force fighter pilot, open up on the covert defence partnership that helped India strike back and on the friendships forged with the IAF along the way. They reveal details of their task given by their bosses and their interactions with IAF. They reveal how it all began with a single phone call from NAK Browne (at that time Indian Defence Attache to Israel), who would later go on to become the Indian Air Force Chief. They also credit Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar and Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari for playing a crucial role in cementing the relationship, one that saw them fly to India over 100 times in the years that followed. In a personal aside, Shlomo reveals he will travel to Kargil for the very first time next month. More in the interview.