Squadron Leader Harbinder Singh Sidhu has been on the posted strength of a Packet Aircraft Squadron since January, 1974. He is a qualified Flying Instructor and has been instructing on Packet aircraft since March, 1973. He has amassed an enviable total of 4168 flying hours to his credit, out of which 1100 hours are on instructional flights. He has considerably improved the operational and categorization state of the Squadron. As a result, the Squadron not only cleared the back log in training of pilots caused due to grounding of Packet aircraft but also achieved the distinction of second best categoriscd squadron amongst all the transport squadrons in the Air Force for the year 1977.

On the 6th April, 1978, during a night dual check sortie, he encountered a rare emergency not known in the history of Packet flying. While going round at 300 feet Advanced Ground Landing, when the flaps were raised to take off position, the starboard outboard flap linkage gave way shifting the starboard outboard flap to the right which lifted the starboard aileron and acted as a lock to the aileron controls. The aircraft viciously rolled to the starboard. Undeterred by the seriousness of the situation, he maintained his presence of mind, decided to reduce power on port engine, landed on the runway with the help of rudders alone and saved the aircraft and the precious lives of the crews from an impending disaster. In an earlier accident, he gave a similar account of his high professional skill and cool headedness by crash landing on the runway at night when his aircraft was not able to maintain height due to runway propeller soon after take off'.

Squadron Leader Harbinder Singh Sidhu thus displayed courage, professional skill and devotion to duty of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Harbinder Singh Sidhu is a transport pilot of outstanding merit with nearly 7000 hours of flying to his credit. He has held Command of two transport squadrons and of an Air Force Selection Board. He has also been an Air Force Examiner. For his various accomplishments as an aviator, he was awarded Vayu Sena Medal in 1979.

As the Air Officer Commanding Air Force Station Agra, the largest transport aircraft base of the IAF, his responsibilities covered an uncommonly wide spectrum, ranging from maintenance, training and the optimal operational utilisation of the most expensive and modern transport aircraft in the IAF inventory, to managing VVIPs visit to Agra. He acquitted himself very creditably, often under great constraints of time and resources.

A singular measure of his committed and professional stewardship was the successful para drop of a Battalion Group by night, on 23 Feb 1994, of which he was the Task Force Commander. It was for the first time that such military mobility involving 21 aircraft flying in a new formation by night, was successfully demonstrated. This exercise had called for the modification of AN-32 formation lights, the mathematics of flight evolution and development of formations to be flown, formulation of procedures to be adopted and the training of a large number of aircrew for the task. He undertook and executed the entire exercise with rare professional supervision.

Air Commodore Harbinder Singh Sidhu VM has, thus, rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.