Kargil 1999: Untold stories of Indian Air Force's contribution captured in a documentary

The documentary uncovers the pivotal role of the Indian Air Force in Kargil war

The Kargil war/conflict was a 84-day-long war with Pakistan, as India attempted to push out its neighbours who had infiltrated and encroached upon its territory. The documentary, 'Kargil 1999 - The Untold Story Of The Indian Air Force', takes the viewers on a never-seen-before journey inside that iconic battle. Twenty-five years after fighting the world's highest aerial war, and for the first time ever, the men in blue themselves have come back to tell this untold story of the Air Force. Through exclusive access to log books, war diaries, original footage and veteran interviews, the documentary uncovers the untold yet pivotal role of the Indian Air Force in this historic conflict which turned the tables for India.

It was the third military conflict between India and Pakistan in 52 years, and globally, the first military engagement between two nuclear powers. The Indian Army launched Operation Vijay, but they needed help of the Air Force to dislodge the enemy from the icy heights.

17 days into the war, Operation Safed Sagar was launched. The highest elevation conflict in the history of air combats. Air power was deployed to fight a Himalayan high-altitude war. Operation Safed Sagar saw the Air Force deploy its best men and machines - Cheetahs, Mi-8, Mi-17 choppers, Jaguars, MiGs and the IL-76 transport aircrafts carrying weaponry, supplies and personnel to support the military endeavour. The Mirages flying at a height above 30,000ft, far from the reach of enemy's stinger missiles, played a seminal role in altering the course of the war. They truly proved to be the game changers. Operation Safed Sagar became a milestone in the history of global military aviation, the first where air power was used in a high-altitude war.

Kargil was a war which saw 527 Indian soldiers lose their lives. A war in which the Air Force flew 6500+ sorties, conducting strike missions, locating enemy positions, and rescuing the injured, from altitudes ranging from 6000 ft to 30,000 ft. The documentary is releasing on August 15, Indpendence Day.

Richa Pant, Creative Director and Producer at Media Indica, said, "Shooting this documentary on Operation Safed Sagar has indeed been challenging. I have a fantastic research team who delved into history and spoke to over 40 veterans during the research phase. Asking people to relive their memories of 25 years is no mean task. One has to match peoples' stories and memories to unearth the truth. We had so much material at the end and not enough time to fit it all in 55 minutes!"

Group Captain Nachiketa, Wing Commander Narendra Verma, Air Commodore Anil Sinha, ⁠Air Marshal Padamjit Singh Ahluwalia, ⁠Wing Commander Alok Sahay and ⁠Lieutenant General YK Joshi are among the war heroes featured in the docu-series.