The Gnat aircraft of the Indian Air Force, most of which were based at one of our forward Wings, were prone to unserviceability of serious as well as petty nature. Even petty unserviceability in most cases involved thorough examination of the entire system in the aircraft. The result - very low serviceability.

To ensure a reasonable serviceability state and better utilization of the Gnats, Squadron Leader Indrakanty Gopala Krishna was attached to the Gnat Wing immediately prior to the commencement of recent hostilities. He was entrusted with the day to day servicing and rectification of not only the Gnats but also a few Hunter aircraft based there. There was heavy demand of the Gnat aircraft for use in the front line airfield like Pathankot, Adampur and Halwara. Quite often detachments had to be sent out with a nucleus of ground equipment and technical personnel to the new bases of operation which meant a reduction in the number of trained personnel at the home base. Added to this difficulty was the constant threat of Pakistani aircraft and paratroopers. Throughout the period of operations Squadron Leader Krishna worked hard himself and achieved a very high state of serviceability. His own professional knowledge, skill and organizing ability were such that they enthused the technical personnel on the station to better effort. Krishna did not spare any effort himself wherever his services were required during the day or night and maintained close liaison with the pilots of Gnat squadrons in order to learn of the problems of un-serviceability that were arising frequently and finding solutions for them. He created thereby a sense of confidence in the pilots about the reliability of this aircraft in combat.

Group Captain Indrakanty Gopala Krishna, VSM, was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in May 1957 and holds a Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering. Since then, he has served as an Engineering Officer of different sub­sonic and supersonic Fighter Squadrons, Chief Engineering Officer of a number of Fighter Bases, Officer Commanding Project Groups, Chief Technical Officer of a Base Repair Depot, Deputy Air Attaché in Embassy of India, Paris and Deputy Director Air Staff Requirements.

As Deputy Director Air Staff Requirements he was very closely associated with the evaluation and induction of some of the modern Combat aircraft and latest armament and involved in the integration of some of the modern Air­to­Air missiles.

Group Captain Krishna took over command of a very important Base Repair Depot. Under his leadership and guidance, the depot has achieved the task of setting up the overhaul line for one of the MiG variants, in record time. This was only possible due to his involvement and motivating all officers and men placed under him. The first supersonic aircraft overhauled by his Repair Depot was test flown without any snag and will remain a milestone in the maintenance history of the Indian Air Force.

Group Captain Indrakanty Gopala Krishna has thus rendered distinguished service exceptional order.

Air Marshal Indrakanty Gopala Krishna was commissioned in the Indian Air Force on the 2nd May, 1957. During his long and distinguished career he has held a wide variety of command and staff appointments which include command of a major Base Repair Depot, Chief Engineer of two key fighter bases and Senior Maintenance Staff Officer of two commands. A graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, the Air Officer held a wide variety of staff appointments with ease and aplomb. He held the challenging appointments of Director Engineering 'B' in 1985 and Director Engineering 'A' in 1988 with distinction at Air Headquarters. The Air Officer brought about several innovative changes in these appointments which directly contributed to the operational preparedness of the IAF. An alumnus of the National Defence College, the Air Officer also had a very distinguished tenure as the Deputy Air Attaché at Paris. In this tenure, the technical reports of the Air Officer were always exceptionally helpful in evaluating spare parts requirements of French origin.

Having undergone Senior Defence Management Course, the Air Officer was first appointed as Senior Maintenance Staff Officer at HQ Western Air Command and later at Maintenance Command. While holding these key appointments, the Air Officer vigorously pursued the IAF's short and long term maintenance targets. On being appointed as AOCin-C Maintenance Command in April 1991 Air Marshal Krishna has brought to bear his wide-ranging field and staff experience upon providing fresh impetus to the on-going process of technological update of maintenance practices of the IAF.

Air Marshal Indrakanty Gopala Krishna, AVSM, VSM has, thus, rendered distinguished service of the most exceptional order.