A recent investigation into the Budgam Mi17 V5 helicopter crash on February 27 has revealed that an Indian air defence missile was fired shortly before it crashed near Srinagar. The incident claimed the lives of six air force personnel and a civilian.
The final moments of the crash are being investigated to determine whether the IFF (Identity, Friend or Foe) system was off or on, reported the Economic Times.
The investigation will now proceed in a technical direction to find whether the IFF system failed despite multiple layers of security and how the system can be improved.
The missile was activated after the air defence alert was sounded over Jammu and Kashmir after 25 Pakistani jets were detected in the morning.
As per the report, the alert indicated that low flying UAVs also might cross the border and it was possible that a slow-moving target like the Mi 17 V5 helicopter could have been mistaken for a UAV. The report also said that the Air Force might conduct an inquiry into the matter.