1999 Pakistan Breguet 1150 Atlantic shootdown

The Atlantique Incident was a major incident where a Pakistan Navy plane was shot down by Indian Airforce citing border violation. The episode took place in the Rann of Kutch on August 10, 1999 just months after the Kargil War, creating a tense atmosphere between the two countries.

A French built naval Breguet Atlantic used primarily for patrol and recon (though fitted with missiles for anti-submarine) took off from Mehran naval base in pakistan at 9:15 a.m. Two hours later it was spotted by IAF Mig-21 jets in Indian territory where it was shot down after by a missile killing 16 on board. Pakistan claimed that the plane was unarmed and the debris was found mostly in Pakistan side of the border thus proving that there was no violation of Indian Airspace. IAF however maintained that the plane did not respond to international protocol and that the debris of a downed aircraft could fall in a wide radius. The following day an Indian airforce helicopter carrying journalists to the site of the attack was attacked by a surface to air missile, which Pakistan denied as having aimed at the chopper but instead another Jet earlier in the day.

On September 21, 1999, Pakistan lodged a compensation claim at the International Court of Justice(ICJ) in Hague, accusing India of shooting down the "unarmed" Atlantique aircraft killing all the 16 naval personnel on board and was seeking about $60 millions in reparations from India and compensation for the victims' families. India argued that the court did not have jurisdiction, citing an exemption it filed in 1974 to exclude disputes between India and other Commonwealth States, and disputes covered by multi-lateral treaties.

On June 22, 2000, the 15-judge Bench headed by Mr. Gilbert Guillaume of France ruled in India's favour and rejected Pakistan's case on all four counts.

On October 8, 2000, the prestigious "Vayu Sena" medal was awarded to Sqn Ldr P.K. Bundela. Also awarded the medal were Wg Cdr V.S. Sharma, the fighter controller who tracked the Atlantique, guided the pilot and ordered him to shoot the Pakistani plane; and Sqn Ldr Pankaj Vishnoi, the helicopter pilot who recovered a part of the Atlantique's debris from the marshy border regions of the Rann.

The downing of the Pakistani aircraft came at a particularly bad juncture for Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was already under attack from right-wing conservatives. Two months later he was deposed in an Army coup.

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• "Can't Stop the Madness". August 23-30, 1999 VOL. 154 NO. 7/8. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)