Vir Chakra (Retd), an alumnus of National
Defence Academy, Pune, has extensive
operational flying experience. During his service
career he commanded the prestigious Air Force
Station Palam, flying and conducting flights for
the President, Vice President, Prime Minister
and Heads of State of other countries. He has
been part of the United Nations Mission in
Sierra Leone in 2000-01 and functioned as
the Chief of Air Operations at UN HQ.
During Operation Khukri, he flew a Mi-17
with British SAS Chinooks to extricate UN
Observers and a company of UN troops from
RUF rebels held area of Kailahun. Success of
this Operation was widely appreciated at the
UN HQ in New York. He has been the
Head of Faculty of CLABS, Centre for
Leadership Training and Behavioural Science
at College of Air Warfare, Hyderabad in
2006-08. He has been actively involved in
Counter Terrorism / Insurgency Ops in J&K
and North East, Siachen air maintenance, and
other flying military and civil operations. He is
a Qualified Flying Instructor and has been the
Chief Flying Instructor at Helicopter Flying
School, Secunderabad. He was awarded 'Vir
Chakra' for the Helicopter Gunship Air
Strike during the Kargil Operations.
