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Awardee List for the year 2017
A total of 66 Awards are listed.
Param Vishist Seva Medal : 6 | Ati Vishist Seva Medal : 12 | Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) : 20 | Vishist Seva Medal : 28 |
 Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gp Capt | Sanjay 18144 ADM | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Sanjay (18144) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as Air Traffic Controller in the Administrative branch on 06 Dec 85. Apart from serving as Air Traffic Controller for twenty years, he has held several staff and command appointments at AFRO, HO MC and Air HO. He has been commended by the AOC-in-C and CAS. His distinguished career in Air Traffic Control includes Senior Air Traffic Control Officer tenure at two premiere fighter bases. While on deputation to Airports Authority of India (AAI) at Kolkata, he was among the select few Air Force Officers to undergo the Radar Approach Course at CATC, Allahabad. He was also the first Air Force instructor to be posted at a naval base in 1995. He is an alumnus of the College of Defence management, Secunderabad. As Officer in charge Career Planning for Airmen, he has been credited with the conceptualization and implementation of weightage marks for length of service, which has since become integral part in evolving a work ethic for AFRO with its main focus on transparency in postings, which led to quantum improvement in satisfaction level among air warriors. In his present appointment as Camp Commandant, he has been instrumental in the operationalisation of several prestigious works aimed at improving the working environment and bringing about greater efficiency in office space management. VRF Air conditioning in all the offices of Air HO building, upgradation of electrical infrastructure, provision of modern cafeteria at Vayu Bhawan and RK Puram, provision of workstations and compactors to a large number of office rooms and improvement in fire safety infrastructure have been singular achievements. The high level of functional synergy achieved with external agencies like CPWD and NDMC has been a hallmark of his tenure. Under his leadership, Air HO was declared 'Best in Horticulture' for 2013 and best maintained office building in Lutyens Zone in 2014. He has also steered the successful implementation of e-auction of salvage which has earned revenue of nearly 40 lakhs over a two year period. For distinguished service of high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Sanjay. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Deore Avinash Vasantrao 19022 AE(L) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Deore Avinash Vasantrao (19022) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an engineer in the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) branch on 05 Sep 87. He is posted to DSO (South West Zone). He has held the appointments of EW officer at AF Station Gwalior, Command Signal Officer at Central Air Command and Director EW at Air HQ. The Officer is MTech in Reliability Engg from liT Kharagpur and MS in Software Systems from BITS Pilani. The officer has consistently taken up challenges beyond the call of the duty. In 1995, he modified Pechora missile system to bring Simulator in Combat Mode to improve training. Bulky and slow Syrel Ground Processing Station was replaced with his developed software in 1999. This upgrade was offered for Rs. 11.5Cr by French OEM. IAF used this system for 14 years. He had introduced real time software system to replace failure prone legacy system to warn the ac in Op Readiness Platform from Base Air Def Control Centre in 2008. He designed the database for the EW asset monitoring for IAF in 2013. This software is in use in IAF. He ensured implementation of otherwise languishing project of Automated Data Analysis Software to analyse ZEW threats by making structural design changes. The officer has given innovative and futuristic way forward to bring about fundamental long term changes in the Intelligence gathering and analysis processes. The networked system is expected to connect numerous sensors, eliminate duplicities, integrate with real time inputs from other services with analysis tools before presenting to the analysts. The officer has devised and implemented systematic methodology ..The officer has carried out thorough analysis of op deployment of SWZ, identified and prioritized the Det locations for better Int gathering. CPU cooler, configuration changes in Oracle database server and modification of power supply unit have led to better availability of the system. During his tenure, SWZ has seen marked improvement in serviceability and op capability. For distinguished service of high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Deore Avinash Vasantrao. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Sumir Tandon 19094 AE(M) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Sumir Tandon (19094) was commissioned as an engineer in the Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) branch on 07 Sep 1987. He is a postgraduate from liT, Madras. In his 28 years of distinguished service, he has held several important field, command and staff appointments. These include Senior Engineering Officer (SEa) of two front line fighter squadrons, Commanding Officer (CO) of a Technical Type Training (TETIRA) School, Joint Director Projects (JD Proj) at Air Headquarters and Joint Director at Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), DRDO. Whilst being SEa, he ensured maximum availability of aircraft during Kargil operations. As JD Proj, he coordinated various trial modifications resulting in enhancement of operational capability of IAF. As CO of TETIRA School, he improved the quality of training using innovative methods. At CEMILAC, he led a team of scientists in awarding airworthiness clearance for trial modification of a fighter upgrade programme. For his high sense of duty and professionalism in service, he was commended twice by CAS in 2008 and 2011. Group Captain S Tandon has been the Chief Engineering Officer of a premier Air base in South Western sector since Aug 2014. He exercised effective supervision and control of maintenance activities ensuring high aircraft and system serviceability at this premier flying base with a sizeable fleet of varied aircraft, both fixed and rotary wing. Under his able supervision, there has been 20% increase in quantum of flying in year 2015 at this base in comparison to previous years. He identified indigenous solutions and substitutes for aircraft tools and testers which resulted in foreign exchange savings and reduced the dependence on foreign vendors. He formulated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for dismantling of an Infra-red missile without OEM support which helped in retrieving unserviceable missiles. This resulted in saving to the tune of rupees 2.5 crore to the exchequer. As a team leader, he prepared SOPs for preparation and loading of air armament stores on a fighter aircraft which enabled standardisation of these procedures across the IAF. For distinguished service of high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Sumir Tandon. ••• | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Kovali Shyam Sunder 19247 LGS | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Kovali Shyam Sunder (19247) was commissioned in Indian Air Force in the Logistics branch on 19 Dec 1987 . He held appointments of Joint Director at Air HQ, SLO of AF Stn New Delhi, CO 42 ED, 29 ED and the Director (Lgs) at PMT (Project Monitoring Team) ADA for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). He has successfully undergone the Flight Navigator Course, Advance Logistics Officers Course and Higher Defence Management Course. As the Lgs Offr of the First Indian Peace Keeping Contingent in Sudan, he contributed in a distinctive way in commissioning of an Air Base at a barren runway. Due to his sustained, conscientious and innovative approach, in less than six months, the base became self-sustaining. The efforts brought laurels and good name to the Indian Mission at Sudan and IAF. He had a stint at AF Station, New Delhi. As S Lgs 0, he successfully and flawlessly equipped and kitted UN Contingents, with an eye on quality and another on costs. The officer as CO 29 ED, played a lead /stellar role in removing numberof impediments for hastening imports, revitalizing dried sources of raw material, getting machines repaired on a fast track at GED, renew expired LCs and bottlenecks in indigenized spares were removed by his commitment and determination. His tenacious efforts resulted in recovery of fleet. During his career he has consistently exhibited tenacity, professionalism, foresight and innovative approach in his assignments. His perseverance, involvement and persuasive approach in supply chain activities with field units, resulted in better Co-ordination for effective AOG reduction, Budget Control and Cargo movement. He was exemplary in installing fiscal discipline in field units thus resulting in saving Rs 2.6 Crores in MT code head. His persuasive approach enhanced the internal checks thus obviating financial irregularities and audit Objections. His ingenious application of rules, regulations and policies articulated in the most professional manner received instant endorsement of IFA in smooth application of DFPDS 2015. The offer leads by example and has maintained very high morale of the men placed under him. For his distinguished service of high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Kovali Shyam Sunder. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Ashok Saini 19259 ACCT | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Ashok Saini (19259) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in Accounts Branch on 19 Dec 87. Presently, the Officer is on the posted strength of Air HQ and functioning as Director, Air Force Pay Commission Cell (AFPCC). The Officer possesses a fine understanding of complex Pay I Pension matters and has analytical approach. For his in-depth knowledge on pay and Pension matters and pro-active approach to seek correct solutions, he was handpicked as Director, AFPCC from Dte of Air Veterans (DAV). He has exhibited strong personal commitment to achieve tasks of Air Force Pay Commission Cell. The Officer has exhibited thorough professionalism in Primary and Secondary duties during his stint at various prominent bases. Due to his sustained performance and positive attitude, the Officer was nominated for tenure with UN Peace Keeping Forces at Goma, DRC during 2007-08. He has also been detailed on coveted appointment of Chief Instructor (Accts) at AFA and subsequently, for the prestigious Higher Defence Management Course during 2013-14. The Officer has been awarded with AOC-in- C and Chief of Air staff Commendations. The Officer during his last appointment at DAV immensely contributed in bridging the information gap that existed with Veterans to ensure speedy settlement of cases. He was instrumental in conduct of Air Veteran rallies at Delhi and Chandigarh, followed by launch of a toll-free number and a user-friendly website of DAV, which was appreciated by Veteran fraternity and higher echelons. His active participation ensured that DAV bi-annual magazine "From the Tarmac" was made more informative and user-friendly. At AFPCC, the Officer has been actively involved in steering the One Rank One Pension issue. He played a pivotal role with regard to vexing issues of pay parity of Defence personnel with civilian counterparts and proposed the concept of Common Pay Matrix, to bridge the pay and status disparities. He has been instrumental in processing cases of Non-Functional Up-gradation and Trade Rationalisation etc. to name a few. The Officer's capacity to undertake sustained research and produce qualitative analysis speaks volume of his caliber and professionalism. For his distinguished service of high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Ashok Saini. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Charles Andrews 19413 AE(M) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Charles Andrews (19413) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an engineer in Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) branch on 07 Mar 1988. He has held several important command and staff appointments that include Command Engineering Officer (A) at Command Headquarters, Chief Engineering Officer of a forward air base, Officer Commanding of Test Engineering Squadron and Chief Instructor of the IAF Test Pilot School. He is an Experimental Flight Test Engineer and a graduate of Higher Air Command Course and Defence Service Staff College. During his career, he was cam mended on two occasions by AOC-in-C. Whilst being the Chief Engineering Officer of an Air Force Station, he performed creditably and ensured accident free flying operations including air armament flying of more than sixty aircraft detachments of various types of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. During his tenure, he meticulously planned and executed the offloading of two special armament trains. During Exercise Iron Fist 2013, the pilot project of Net Centric Display was operationalised and executed under the technical guidance of the officer within a short span of three months. This project was the first of its kind in the IAF. While working as Joint Director, Directorate of Air Staff Requirements at Air HQ, he was chosen as the project officer of special weapons and took part in the prestigious Indo-Russian Project of Fifth Generation Fighter aircraft with his professional capability and academic excellence he was chosen as the officer for several new and advanced air launched weapon procurement, some of which have now been inducted in the IAF. During his tenure as Director, Armament and Safety Equipment at Air HQ, he has put in sincere efforts and brought down the deviations in the Weapon Storage Areas. He has taken keep interest in Indigenisation of chaffs and flares, which were hitherto being procured at exorbitant price from foreign vendors. He has contributed significantly in the recent Air Force level war game exercises by undertaking research and analysis. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Charles Andrews | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Surendra Kumar Verma 19895 F(P) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Surendra Kumar Verma (19895) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as pilot in flying branch on 17 Dec 88. During his 28 years of distinguished service, he has held challenging appointments of Flight Commander of a premier Transport squadron, Commanding Officer an OSA-AK(M) Surface-to-Air Guided Weapon Squadron, Ops IIA of an Operational command of IAF and Directing Staff at the College of Air Warfare. He is presently the Station Commander of Airmen Training School (ATS) , Belagavi, a premier training station for all the airmen of IAF, since 11 Aug 14. He has over 4600 hours of accident free flying hours to his credit. An accomplished professional, the officer is a Right Hand Seat Check Pilot on AN-32 aircraft and is qualified in all the operational roles of the aircraft. He was part of the aircrew that carried out the first successful landing on AN-32 aircraft at the highest Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) of the world at Dualat Beg Oldie in 2008. The same year, he was instrumental in a successful causality evacuation of Indian security personnel from Afghanistan after a bomb blast. For his devotion to duty and dedicated professionalism, he was commended by Chief of the Air Staff. As Ops 11 A of HQ CAC, he was meticulous in forecasting, planning and execution of activation of Dharasu ALG by transport aircraft in Utlarakhand Hills, later utilised for rescue operations during flash floods in year 2013. As the Station Commander of ATS, Belagavi, he has displayed same zeal and professionalism in achieving higher training status for all the trainee airmen of the IAF. Under his personal supervision, various improvements in the training syllabus have been adopted to align the trainees with the changing modern requirements of the IAF. The syllabus in the fields aligns the trainees with the changing modern requirements of the IAF. The syllabus in the fields of weapon training, cyber security and communication skills were proactively reviewed and introduced in a record time. The officer's strict control on quality of training, resulted in 100% success in all the courses for past two years consecutively. His introduction of the books and training material for the cook and mess waiter trainees resulted in improving the standards of the culinary skills across all the messes of the IAF. He has meticulously planned the training infrastructure of the station to cater for the increased intake of trainees in future so that this demand of manpower shortage of the IAF is met seamlessly. The officer has displayed a deep sense of commitment to the service throughout his career and is a true role model for his juniors to follow. He set his own example in grooming the personnel and the new recruits into worthy air warriors. For the distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Surendra Kumar Verma. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Harjinder Singh 20303 AE(L) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Harjinder Singh (20303) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an engineer in the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) branch on 04 Sep 1989. He graduated in Computer Science Engineering from Anna University. He has held appointments of Engineering Officer in MiG-27 Squadron, Chief Technical Officer of Radar Signal Unit and Senior Software engineer at Software Development Institute (SDI). During his tenure at SDI, he developed an Air Defence Simulator which is cleared and used by DASI as a testing tool for Fighter Controllers. The officer also developed a world class, Visual Tower Simulator for ATC controllers, which is functional at Air Force Academy. He played a key role in integration of Fire Control Radar on the ageing Jaguar aircraft. He was also actively involved in integration of Very High Frequency (VHF) Omni Range/Instrument Landing System (VOR/ILS) and Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) on Jaguar aircraft, which enabled IAF to participate in various international exercises. These initiatives resulted in substantial benefits to the IAF and are being used as a reference model for other developments. As Director of electronic-Maintenance Management System (e-MMS), he joined the project group in December 2010 and as member secretary of Contract Negotiation Committee, carried out immaculate bench marking and assessment of commercial bids. Minute details visualised by the officer proved valuable during conceptualisation of Pilot Phase with the vendor. This provided a mechanism for testing and proying by which critical maintenance workflows on selected aircraft fleets before rolling out the solution across all fleets and systems. Timely resolution of critical issues on aircraft detachment operation module, mitigation of mobile device encryption solution, AFNET network augmentation requirements and issuance of project implementation directives by the officer ensured smooth execution of the project at pilot sites. His leadership and vision was instrumental in implementing this project, which will transform the way in which maintenance will be carried out in the IAF. All these efforts culminated in the official 'Inauguration of project e-MMS' by the CAS during May 2016. For distinguished service of high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Harjinder Singh. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Arockia Jeyachandran 20577 MED | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Arockia Jeyachandran (20577) is an alumnus of Madurai Medical College commissioned in Indian Air Force on 27 Dec 1989 and is presently the Director Medical Services (HR). Right from the initial year of service he has always displayed exemplary commitment towards providing quality healthcare and believes in service before self. He was the first medical officer posted to Thoise in 1990, the forward base supporting unit to Op Meghdoot and was the architect of establishing MI Room and formulating Medical War Plans. During his tenure as Commanding Officer of 6 AFH, his untiring and resourceful approach resulted in overcoming many obstacles for getting State Govt clearance to initiate construction of new hospital building. He was posted at Office of DGAFMS in Equipment & Stores group and as DMS (E&S) at Air HO. SMOs and COs of medical establishments look up to him for solving intricate issues of procurement due to his expertise in the field of Medical Stores management. Recognizing his unflinching and dedicated commitment towards service he was selected to undergo prestigious National Security and Strategic Studies Course at NDC in 2014. In his present tenure, he is well known and highly regarded not only for his responsiveness and domain knowledge in HFl issues but also his kind and calm demeanor. His vision, fortitude and pro-active mind set in re-appropriating the existing resources for enhancing the medical facilities at all lAF hospitals by posting specialists of all basic specialties have increased clientele satisfaction manifold. It is a testament to his success as a HR manager that deficiency of 74 medical officers was brought to 20 in one year due to his initiative and constant interaction with SMOs ensuring that newly inducted doctors who joined continued in service. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Arockia Jeyachandran. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Shardul Dayanand Patil 21116 AE(L) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Shardul Dayanand Patil (21116) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an engineer in the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) branch. He is on the posted strength of Air Force Station Ojhar from 01 Oct 2013. He is presently working as the Team Leader of MiG-29 Upgrade Project Cell (UPC). The officer has been working as Flight Test Engineer for the prestigious MiG-29 Upgrade Programme and has been part of the MiG-29 Project Management Team at Russia. Due to his knowledge and flight testing skill, the officer was detailed to steer this programme since its inception. Due to his continuous evaluation and perseverance, Russians were forced to implement the aircraft logic and interfaces that were beneficial for operations of the Indian Air Force. He was also instrumental in redefining the logic related to system like Radar, Identification Friend Foe, Counter Measure Dispensing System, Group Actions, etc. His involvement in the project has helped Indian Air Force to extract operational potential much beyond the contracted capability with improved user satisfaction. After transfer of six Design and Development (0&0) aircraft from Russia to India, the officer was repatriated and assumed his present post. As team leader MiG-29 UPC, he took the full ownership of programme and single handedly completed pending flight test programme on MiG-29 Upgrade aircraft along with RAC 'MiG' in a manner that helped in achieving full capability of the upgraded aircraft in a short span of time. He kept track of complete programme and guided the operational and maintenance crew for fruitful utilization of the upgrade aircraft. His dedication, involvement and wholehearted participation has helped Indian Air Force to achieve its vision of MiG- 29 Upgrade aircraft. The officer has a major contribution in success of MiG-29 Upgrade programme. For his dedication towards the MiG-29 Upgrade programme and distinguished service of high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Shardul Dayanand Patil. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Abhijeet Nene 22534 F(P) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Abhijeet Nene (22534) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a pilot in the flying branch on 21 Jun 1993. The officer is a Cat 'A' Qualified Flying Instructor, Fighter Strike Leader, graduate of the Malaysian Armed Forces Staff College and holds a Post Graduate Diploma from University of Malaya, where he was adjudged as the best officer. He has served as Directing Staff in Flying Instructors' School and as Officer ilc Training in Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment. He has commanded a fighter squadron, which was adjudged as the best fighter sqn during his tenure. He has an experience of over 4500 hours on various fighter and trainer ac. In all his key appointments, he has had a flawless aerospace safety record. In his present appointment, he was the officer primarily in charge of conduct of all phases of Air Force level exercise in year 2015. He prepared and delivered the op presentation and also handled all aspects of the tabletop exercise. During the op phase, he ensured translation of the Commander's intent into execution. Apart from achieving objectives laid down by Air HQ, he formulated command objectives and ensured that they were met. Various new and innovative ideas were practised. All missions were planned with attention to detail to ensure mission success as well as flight safety. Unforeseen circumstances such as weather, non-availability of certain bases etc were well managed to ensure continued conduct of exercise. The officer drafted the latest Command Op Instructions in which he ensured accurate articulation of Commander's intent. In addition, he reviewed the format of the Op Instructions, wherein specific action points for Command staff, Station Commanders and Commanding Officers are clearly laid down. lnnovative ideas practised and lessons learnt during Air Force level exercise have been incorporated. He also carried out extensive interactions with various army agencies to understand adversary disposition and tactics, down to the lowest formation. The command op plans prepared by him lay special attention to details such as exact weapon to target matching, fuse settings, effect of weather etc. For distinguished service of high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Abhijeet Nene. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Anurag Sharma 22682 F(P) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Anurag Sharma (22682) was commissioned in the Indian Air force as a pilot in fighter stream on 18 Dec 1993 and has flown more than 4200 hrs on various types of fighter and trainer aircraft. The officer is a Cat 'A' Qualified Flying Instructor, a M.Sc. graduate from DSSC and an M. Phil graduate from the prestigious School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (SAASS), Air University, USA. He has been a Directing Staff at Flying Instructors' School, an Air Force Examiner on Su-30MKI, Jaguar, Kiran and HPT-32 aircraft, and commanded a Su-30MKI Sqn prior to taking over as Chief Operations Officer (COO) of a forward Air Force base in the Eastern Sector. Since his posting as the COO of the easternmost fighter base in IAF, he has been working conscientiously, assiduously and tenaciously towards facilitating the organizational goals. The base that houses a SU-30MKI Sqn is a busy airfield with extensive fighter flying, transport air maintenance sorties and regular helicopter operational detachments for armament training, NVG camps and Operational Exploitation Workshops (HEOW). The operating environment at the base presents very unique challenges and conducting flying operations of such a large variety of aircraft from a deteriorating operating surface with limited parking space under marginal weather conditions requires extensive round the clock supervision and personal involvement. During Ex-Livewire in Nov 15, a variety of aircraft were tasked to operate from the base. The officer's foresight, meticulous planning and personal involvement ensured that old and dilapidated surfaces that had not been used for many years were wrought-up to the desired standards for fighter operations. Round the clock operations of a variety of aircraft, including RPAs for the first time, from the base were facilitated by the officer's personal involvement and initiative. He has used his knowledge, vast experience and initiative to ensure accident/ incident free flying operations under difficult operating conditions with a young and inexperienced team of officers functioning under him. The same has been appreciated by various inspecting agencies and his enormous contribution in all spheres, especially operations was recognised by Eastern Air Command, Indian Air Force by awarding the base the' Pride of EAC'. Apart from executing his primary job with utmost dedication, the officer also involves himself beyond the call of his duty to interact with junior officers to groom and develop their professional, leadership and personal traits as officers of this fine organization. Be it profession, sports or social, the officer with his conscientious approach and initiative, always puts his best foot forward and presents a shining example of the finest traditions of the Indian Air Force. His professional conduct of 1965 Air War Symposium, insightful lecture in Centre of Air Power Studies seminar and hosting Joint interaction with Army officers set the benchmark for conduct of any such events. For distinguished service of high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Anurag Sharma (Retired). | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Gp Capt | Vikram Govind 23722 F(P) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Group Captain Vikram Govind (23722) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a pilot in fighter stream on 16 Dec 95 and is presently serving at Air Headquarters in the Directorate of Air Staff Inspection (DASI). A Fighter Combat Leader with over 2300 hours of flying, of which over 1200 hours are on the MiG-21 aircraft, he has served as Directing Staff at the prestigious Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment where he has co-authored the first book on 'Beyond Visual Range' combat. He was Flight Commander of a Mirage-2000 Squadron and has commanded a frontline MiG-21 Squadron. As Flight Commander and Commanding Officer, he ensured a safe flying environment without compromising on quality or quantity of operational flying. As a flying team inspector of DASI, he is responsible for inspecting and evaluating the operational readiness status of fighter units. He has displayed utmost sincerity and good operational orientation during inspections and audits of combat units. As part of the recently concluded pan IAF exercise, his operational appreciation was adjudged as the best. He was also instrumental in preparing the debrief module for the tabletop portion of the Exercise. As an umpire during the exercise, he was part of the analysis team which worked to draw out important lessons for the IAF. His tactical acumen was also utilised to prepare the IAF team for the Indo-UK exercise in July 2015. For distinguished service of a high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Group Captain Vikram Govind. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Wg Cdr | Mohan Rana 26776 LGS | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Wing Commander Mohan Rana (26776) was commissioned in Indian Air Force in the Logistics branch on 15 Dec 2001 and has consistently performed all his duties in a very highly professional manner while handling field and staff assignments. In his career, Wg Cdr Mohan Rana has handled all the Logistics functions while being posted to fighter, transport and helicopter bases. In a Movement Control Unit, he organised the movement of Army troops to their Ops locations by timely providing Military Special Trains. In Air Force Station New Delhi, he maintained high serviceability of over 500 MT vehicles by expediting the procurement of spares and was also involved in the kitting of three UN Mission Contingents every year. He was commended by the CAS in 2011 for prompt Logistics support in the northernmost airbase of IAF which helped the base achieve its designated air maintenance role. In his present tenure as Joint Director Engineering Mirage (Q) at Air HQ, he contributed towards finalisation of the 'Long Term Product Support Agreement' with the Mirage OEMs, also referred to as Additional Agreement No. 8 (AA-8) which was pending for over six years. AA-8 defines the Contractual Clauses and Pricing Philosophy for procurement of Mirage spares till the year 2034. The three Door to Door Repair Contracts (DTDRCs) of Mirage 2000 expired between Oct 2013 and Mar 2014 resulting in accumulation of 900 Mirage repairable which affected fleet serviceability. Towards renewal and approval of three DTDRCs, he incessantly endeavoured and was successful in finalisation of the contracts worth Rs. 1300 Crores. In addition to his current appointment, he is also performing the duties as Staff Officer to Marshal of the Air Force with utmost devotion and integrity. For distinguished service of high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Wing Commander Mohan Rana. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| Sqn Ldr | Rohit Sharma 30941 AE(L) | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 26 Jan 17 | Announced 26 Jan 17 | |
| Details : |  Squadron Leader Rohit Sharma (30941) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as an engineer in the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) branch on 04 January 201o. He is holding the appointment of Flight Commander, Pechora Combat Flight since Dec 2014. He possesses exceptional innovative skills and technical aptitude. To save the running hours of vintage Pechora equipment and to enhance the training value for the combat crew, he conceptualized and successfully fabricated Indigenized Pechora Combat Simulator (IPCS). This has resulted in not only saving crores to the exchequer in terms of fuel, spares and man hours but more importantly resulted in enhancing the operational preparedness of the Pechora units. Subsequently, he played a vital role in fabricating these simulators for all the Pechora bases in the IAF. The simulator was showcased to Hon'ble President of India on Air Force Day. Building on the functionality of IPCS, the officer has developed a Terminal Weapons Control Centre (TWCC) simulator. Till now, no such simulator existed in the IAF and the training was carried out with aircraft strikes. This simulator has allowed training for all elements of TWCC without the associated flying effort. Training is now possible even in adverse external factors such as weather, birds, flight safety restrictions etc. In September 2013, Missile Guidance Radar of the unit was experiencing frequent unserviceabilities due to faulty timer relay. OEM supplied solid state timer relays were not in stock at that time. He successfully fabricated a digital micro controller based timer relay thus reducing the down time of combat equipment. In January 2015, the officer fabricated a micro controller based digital timer unit for monitoring the readiness states of missiles. It not only aids in efficient management of missiles preparation cycles but also significantly eases the job of combat crew. In addition, the officer is presently working on towards digitization of power supply modules. For his technical aptitude, innovativeness and distinguished service of high order at such a young age, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Squadron Leader Rohit Sharma. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
| Vishist Seva Medal | |||||
| MWO | Jasvinder Singh Maan 625995 OR | Unit : -N.A.- | Award Date 15 Aug 17 | Announced 15 Aug 17 | |
| Details : | 625995 Master Warrant Officer Jasvinder Singh Mann, Radar Fitter was enrolled in the Indian Air Force in technical trade on 01 Oct 1980. In his distinguished service, the air warrior has served in ground Radar system (PAR, SRE) and Mobile Missile Preparation Units (MMPU). He is OEM trained in maintenance of Russian Air Launched Missiles (ALMs)/ Guided Bombs (GBs). The MWO is currently on the posted strength of GURT, in south western sector. The MWO possesses excellent professional knowledge on testing & servicing of ALMs/ GBs. His knowledge, trade skills, ability to offer innovative solutions and willingness to assume additional responsibilities, makes him an asset to IAF. The MWO had developed indigenous solutions to repair frequently failing FDR milking system of Mig-29 aircraft and had developed an integrated FDR milking device for Jaguar aircraft in one of the air base in western sector. He was also instrumental in establishment of GURT testers at controlling Air base in western sector during Fire Power Demonstration in 2009. In the year 2012, while carrying out survey for life extension checks of ALMs, the MWO proved that the unserviceabilities declared by Russians were actually due to the malfunction of ATEs. On three such occasions, unserviceable ATEs were successfully recovered by the MWO, thus ensuring saving of exchequer's money for replacement of these missiles. The MWO has been instrumental in recovery of unserviceable ATEs at three premier Air bases in south western sector, including recent recovery of 21 ATE modules of GURT at a base under Western Air Command. The recovery has been at the component level in many cases. The base has been benefiting from his experience and has maintained 100% serviceability of GURT testers. The hard work of the MWO has not only benefited this base but also other MMPUs. Currently, he is the only authority in repair and recovery of GURT testers in IAF. His untiring hard work and exceptional professional competence has been appreciated by Air HQ (P DASE) and HQ SWAC (SMSO). For his distinguished service of high order, Hon'ble President is pleased to award Vishisht Seva Medal to Master Warrant Officer Jasvinder Singh Mann. | ||||
| Reference: | Air Force Day Booklet | ||||
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