The Atlantique Incident Earlier, 1999

MacCaulay

Banned
Just a month after India and Pakistan finished fighting the Kargil War, Indian fighters shot down a Pakistani Atlantique naval patrol aircraft that had strayed into Indian airspace.

This happened in the extreme southern end of the Pakistani/Indian border, far away from most of the traditional powder kegs of the Indo/Pak Conflicts. But let's suppose that during the height of the Kargil War, one of these aircraft had been shot down when it was (rightly or wrongly) percieved to be penetrating Indian airspace.

The Indians would have a very logical reason to think that the Pakistani military was thinking of widing the war to the south of the country, and possibly act accordingly. Or...it could be one more incident in the Kargil War. Which one do you folks think was most likely?
 
It was one of several flights into a specifically noted area by a purely nosey aircraft which responded badly. Sometimes, the bear gets you. Incidentally, the French aircraft was shot down by French missiles. Vive la guerre.
 

MacCaulay

Banned
Incidentally, the French aircraft was shot down by French missiles. Vive la guerre.

If there's one thing I like about the French, it's that they're the most pure capitalists in the world: they seem quite willing to sell to literally anybody. I get the feeling the only person they wouldn't sell to after 1945 would be Stalin, and that's because the British were already giving away jet engines for free.

What makes it so amazing is that they're not the least bit ashamed about it. The US always seems to sell to dirtbags and then get overly defensive about it when people call them on it. The French just hear their detractors and say "Fuck You."
 
The French do have a righteous streak once in a while. That's why there are Neshers and Kfirs.

IMHO ( and sorry for the Off topic ) that is more about oil ( and where it is most of it ) that with righteous streaks ...

Anyway I think that they will see it as a more actively pursued vigilance / espionage that escalating the conflict ...
 
The Indians would have no reason to think that if they didn't see something more massive than a single patrol flight, especially one that probably didn't even cross the border.

But the bottom line is, India had enough on their hands already, and they aren't stupid enough to make any kind of pre-emptive attack based on such little information. The most that would happen is higher alert for border troops.
 
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