Tbh we got nothing out of balakot.
At most they lost one plane which we were never able to prove to the world, thus becoming laughing stock.
We shot our own helicopter in a friendly fire exposing the Hawai force and their bravado.
Fact remains that world knows our pilot was captured and our plane shot down, no one remembers anything else.
Balakot(is also a teerth dham for bullas) was meant to call out the nuclear bluff/blackmail of aatmi taakat.
After losing 40 jawans, the nation and gormint was ready to go all in and no one in porkiland was safe.
Porkies lost a f16 which is burgeristan's most exported fighter and thus the pride of burger aviation.
What face will burger show to the world after losing their prized 16 to mig21 which they claimed to be decimated by f4s. Btw tactics used by IAF were tested against USAF F15c where mig21(elta jammer equipped, same config as Abhinandan) shot down f15Cs with radars off and su30 acting as AWACS. (Ex cope india i think 2004 or 2008)
Our failure to show irrefutable evidence showed our lack of capabilities in ISR.
Friendly fire happens in all professional forces but is of course unacceptable and shows lack of and importance of network centric warfare. It also showed shortcomings in SOPs.
Fact is our pilot was returned safe and sound within 24 hrs. (Interestingly a defending force's pilot caught in enemy's territory which was supposed to be on the offensive)
At that time balakot was THE only modern air combat between technological capability similar forces. No one knew what was going to happen.
Unfortunately transition from buyer's airforce to builder's airforce was always going to be painful.
