evidence: The nation is celebrating the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman to India on Friday after two days in Pakistani custody. The nation is celebrating the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman to India on Friday after two days in Pakistani custody. We wish him an early return to the cockpit for that is what he would want. He is the first combat pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) to shoot down an F-16. He flew the first MiG-21 to achieve this feat. Varthaman was part of an IAF team that, through timely intervention, repulsed a Pakistani air raid into the Indian side of the Line of Control in Kashmir on Wednesday. In the process, the IAF defenders also managed to destroy a valuable air asset of Pakistan, an F-16, possibly a two-seater that is hard to replace. Also, media reported that the pilot of the F-16 was killed. If true, that would be a great loss to the Pakistan Air Force.