Group Captain Dinesh Dhawan (15403) F (P) was commissioned as a Fighter Pilot in the IAF on 07 Jul 78. In his 28 years of distinguished service, he has held several key appointments that include Commanding Officer of MiG21M Sqn, Chief Operational Officer of Air Force Station Bhuj and Leh and Deputy Director of Weapons at Air HQ. He underwent Fighter Combat Leader Course in 1991 and was awarded the Sword of Honour for standing first in the course. He is a graduate of DSSC and was awarded Commendation by CAS in 1995. He is working as Director Weapons at Air HQ since Sep 05.

Gp Capt Dinesh Dhawan has always worked towards improving the operational efficiency of the weapons in the IAF. As Director Weapons, he took up the challenge to equip IAF aircraft with lethal and potent weapons. With his initiative, foresight and intelligence, he undertook the review of consolidated War Waging Reserves of air launched weapons required for the entire IAF in the XTH & XITH Plan. Meticulous planning regarding weapon to target matching, weapon to aircraft matching and incorporation of large number of Stand Off weapons & PGMs is the highlight of his review and it reflects the professional acumen of the officer. He carried out detailed calculations for weapons required for all the Ground Attack and Air Defence campaigns. He obtained Government approval for scaling of the air launched weapons of the IAF through his dynamic spirit and commitment. The consolidated plan of War Waging Reserve weapons will enhance the war fighting potential of the IAF.

Under his leadership, the review of publication dealing with air to ground ranges was taken up. He was instrumental in the conduct of live bomb trials to establish the fragment distribution of weapons. These scientific calculations resulted in the reduction of danger area requirement for air-toground ranges and have led to their enhanced utilisation. For his distinguished service of high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award 'Vishisht Seva Medal' to Group Captain Dinesh Dhawan.