Air Vice Marshal Sudheer Rajaram Karakare (5033) Flying (Navigator) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force on 14 Jan 56. During his long and distinguished career he has held a number of important command and staff appointments which include Command of Navigation and Signals School, Senior Officer in-charge Administration at HQ SWAC, Air Officer Commanding Air Force Record Office, Senior Officer-in-charge Administration at Central Air Command, Senior Personnel Staff Officer at HQ CAC and presently Senior Air and Administration Staff Officer at HQ Maintenance Command.

Throughout his career AVM Karakare displayed exceptional brilliance and dedica­tion. He became a Navigation Instructor at merely three years of service and ultimately rose to become an A­1 category instructor. He made very significant contribution in the training of a very large number of navigators in the IAF during the rapid expansion period of post­China war. His instructional acumen coupled with sheer hard work ensured the needs of the IAF at this crucial juncture. He finally Commanded the Nav and Signals School of the IAF and his command saw smooth transition from Dakota to Avros as the Navigation trainer aircraft.

He later commanded a very sensitive radar unit in the Eastern Sector and brought about qualitative improvements in its operational effectiveness. During this phase of his command he also ensured the timely completion of work services with respect to Medium Depot Maintenance. AVSM 1990

He was appointed the SPSO at the HQ CAC in August 1980. As SPSO he brought significant improvement in all personnel matters handled by his section and achieved creditable improvement in the discipline aspect of the Central Air Command. He also coordinated the President's colour Presentation to No. 6 and 7 Squadron with distinction.

He has successfully undergone several prestigious courses in India and abroad and is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College and National Defence College. He was appointed the Air Officer Commanding Air Force Record Office in 1985. As the AOC of the important unit he brought to bear his rich administrative and field experience, on the optimization of available man power while at the same time foreseeing the training needs of our airmen. Here he wrote a service paper on 'Long Term Planning - Airmen Manning' with a 15 years perspective. He was also able to establish a strong rapport between the field Commanders and the Air Force Record Office. In his present appointment as the SAASO, Maintenance Command AVM Karkare has again displayed deep understanding and maturity in the handling of large number of civilian personnel and improved manmanagement.

Air Vice Marshal Sudheer Rajaram Karkare has thus rendered distinguished service of exceptional order.

AVM Ranjit Singh Bedi VM (5120) Flying (Pilot) was commissioned in the IAF on 01 Apr 60 and was assigned to the Fighter Stream. Since then he has held a number of prestigious command and staff appointments. He has commanded a Combat sqn and a Premier Aircraft Base in the Western Sector with distinction. He has also held command of a major Air Defence Direction Center and has been Director of Air Defence at Air HQs.

In 1971, while posted as the Flight Commander of a Front Line Combat Sqn, the officer was awarded Vayu Seva Medal for high professional ability, courage and devotion to duty. The officer continued to show these qualities in high measure when subsequently given command of a Sqn.

As Air Office Commanding a Major Base in the Western Sector, the officer displayed exceptional professional acumen and managerial abilities in bringing about all round improvements. His contribution towards increasing the utilization of Air to Ground Range, under his control, was particularly significant. Under his dynamic leadership the flying environment, maintenance infras­tructure and administrative facilities of the Station showed marked improvement. Through personal examples and refined man-management techniques, he was able to infuse a spirit of dedication and hard work amongst all personnel under his Command, thereby bringing the Station to a high state of operational preparedness in a very short time.

After graduating from NDC in 1986, the officer was appointed Director of Air Defence at Air HQ. During his tenure, he was instrumental in bringing about far reaching changes and improvements in the Air Defence environment of the country through innovative refinement of tactical doctrines, successful induction of state of art sensors and effective integration of newly installed Plan Adges equipment in the overall Air Defence system. His contribution as Director Air Defence has significantly enhanced the Air Defence capabilities of the Nation. His forward planning in this sphere has ensured that the process of upgradation of Air Defence potential would continue unhindered. On promotion to the rank of AVM in Nov 88, he was appointed Senior Officer Incharge Administration of a premier operational Command. While discharging his onerous responsibilities in this prestigious appointment with his usual professionalism and dedication, AVM Bedi was given additional task of organizing Air Power Demonstration at Tilpat range. The task of such magnitude not only required utmost attention to minutest details in planning but also coordination of time bound activities by a large number of civil and military agencies. This complex administrative plan was executed within the exacting time from with optimum economy, despite innumerable difficulties and bottlenecks, entirely because of AVM Bedi's inspired leadership, meticulous planning and sustained hard work. As a result he was able to make faultless administrative arrangements for a telling demonstration of the country's Air Power not only to the high dignitaries and diplomatic corps but also to the nation as a whole.

Air Vice Marshal Ranjit Singh Bedi VM has thus rendered distinguished service of exceptional order.

Air Commodore Lawrence Aloysious Menezes was commissioned on the 30th November, 1956. He is a very experienced fighter pilot with 3245 hours of flying on fighter aircraft and 1500 glider launches to his credit. He has had a glorious accident free record. He has held prestigious staff appointments at Air Headquarters and a Command Headquarters.

Air Cmde Lawrence Aloysious Menezes had actively participated in both Indo­Pak Wars in 1965 and in 1971. Apart from Vayu Sena Medal awarded to him in 1971 for his outstanding performance as a Flight Commander of MiG­21 Squadron, he was commended twice, first by the Air Officer Commanding­in­Chief HQ WAC and second time by the Chief of the Air Staff.

As a Gp Capt, Air Cmde Lawrence Aloysious Menezes did an exceptional job in bringing up one of the Air Force Stations to a full fledged fighter Wing from a Forward Base Support Unit. On promotion to the rank of Air Cmde, he was given a prestigious appointment of Air I of an operational command. On completion of the staff tenure, he was selected for National Defence College Course. He was given the command of an operational base for the second time in 1987. Displaying very high order of leadership, organisational ability, man­management and total involvement, he brought up the Station to high state of operational preparedness. This was amply displayed in performance of the Early Warning Force and the Strategic Reconnaissance Force placed under his command. Under his leadership, his Wing was awarded the 'Best Maintenance Trophy' in 1987-88. In 1988-89, the Wing was awarded the 'Best Admin Trophy' and to crown it all, the 'Overall Best Station Trophy' in Central Air Command.

Air Commodore Lawrence Aloysious Menezes, VM has, thus, rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Air Commodore Satish Kumar Sareen VM (5370) Flying (Pilot) was commissioned in the Air Force on 29 May 57. His outstanding qualities as a fighter pilot earned him early recognition and he was selected to undergo the Pilot Attack Instructor (PAI) course while still a young Flying Officer. During the course he established three armament records which stood for several years. Later in his career he was posted on the staff of the Pilot Attack Instructor School where his personal flying ability and model instructional technique gained him the admiration of his students and peers alike. Subsequently, he also served abroad as a Pilot Attack Instructor (PAI). He later held the appointments of Flight Commander and Commanding Officer of a fighter squadron and a Signals Unit with distinction. During his tenure as the Chief Operations Officer of a fighter wind he evolved procedures which significantly enhanced the operational and flight safety standards of the Base.

Air Commodore Satish Kumar Sareen VM (5370) F (P) was awarded the Vayu Seva Medal in 1971. He is a graduate of Defence Services Staff College and has held several important staff appointments including that of Joint Director Flight Safety. While in command of an Air Defence Control Centre he was selected for a diplomatic assignment abroad. As the Air Advisor at High Commission of India in London he established excellent working relations with the Royal Air Force and with the industry of the host country; this helped Air Headquarters in many way, including that of getting timely updates on development in the field of military aviation. His analysis and sound recommendations on the relevance and effectiveness of modern weapon systems also helped Air Headquarters in negotiations and decision-making in a number of procurements/ projects. He has thus contributed directly by large measure to the enhancement of the Indian Air Force's operational capabilities, both offensive and defensive. In addition, his very effective liaison with Britain's aerospace industry has helped the Indian Air Force induct and maintain equipment from that country with a much higher level of efficiency than would otherwise have been possible. In the process, he has also saved the country a vast amount of foreign exchange.

Air Commodore Satish Kumar Sareen VM has thus rendered distinguished service of exceptional order.

Air Commodore Ajai Kumar Brahmawar VM (5858) Flying (Pilot) took over the command of an Operational Wing on 29 Sep 87 and set himself the task of bringing and maintaining the Wing at the highest state of operational readiness. Due to his continued and inexhaustible effort, the Wing has had many achievements in the last two years. During the period of two years the Wing has achieved a zero Cat 1 accident rate and the total accident rate is only 2.81 against the limit of 3.0. This is noteworthy as a substantial portion of the flying carried out by the two squadrons on the Wing involves operational training on young pilots. In addition, the wing flies one of the oldest combat aircraft, the Badals. The Wing also won the EAC Trophy for the Best Maintained Wing for the year 1988-89 and for the Best Administered Wing in 1988-89.

A very close rapport exists between the Wing and the Army formations nearby, largely due to untiring efforts of Air Cmde Brahmawar. The Army Aviation Flight located at Hasimara has been fully integrated with the Air Force and inter service relation is extremely cordial. With his keen interest in all welfare activities Air Cmde Brahmawar has not only raised the morale of all station personnel but has also improved the overall operational efficiency.

Air Cmde Brahmawar is an experienced fighter pilot and Pilot Attack Instructor who has held many important assignments with great credit, notable among them, Air 1 South Western Air Command, Team Leader Air Force Training Team in Iraq and Station Commander of two operational bases.

Air Cmde Ajai Kumar Brahmawar has thus rendered distinguished service of exceptional order.

Air Commodore Subhash Chander Madan VSM (5965) Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) was commissioned in June 60, and has been Air Officer Commanding a vital Base Repair Depot, since Nov 87.

Air Cmde Madan has had a distinguished career spanning 28 years, during which he has, throughout displayed technical expertise and competence of the highest order, especially on Guided Weapon Systems.

As Air Officer Commanding the Base Repair Depot, Air Cmde Madan totally identified himself with the objectives and requirements of the Depot and was able to forge a close­knit team, fully conscious of its collective aim. Under his leadership, the Depot recorded an allround growth in technological facilities. In recognition of this, the Depot was adjudged as the Joint Winner of the 'Best Base Repair Depot Trophy' for 1987-88, followed in 1988-89 as the sole Winner of the 'Best Base Repair Depot Trophy' and Runners­up for the 'Best Administered Unit Trophy'.

The capability of handling unforeseen situation displayed by the Air Office in voluntarily undertaking emergency repairs of RSBN, even without adequate technological experience and facilities, was of the highest order.

During 1988-89, the depot was allotted a task of giving six Missiles Guidance Radars (MGRs). Air Cmde Madan went about the task in a truly professional manner and not only met, but exceeded the target, by producing seven Missile Guidance Radars. A remarkable aspect of this achievement was that a steady production rate was maintained throughout the tasked year.

By his dedication to duty, outstanding technological merit and qualities of leadership, Air Commodore Subhash Chander Madan VSM has rendered distinguished service of exceptional order.

Air Commodore Chitta Ranjan Ghosh was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as Flying (Pilot) on the 31st May, 1961. Till date he has flown 7300 hrs of accident free flying. He has held the highest CAT/IR viz on Packet, TU-124, AVRO-748 and AN-32 aircraft. He has also been Command Examiner on Packets and AN-32 aircraft.

He was sent to USSR in 1983 as the team leader for conversion and induction of the AN32 aircraft in the IAF. It was due to his capacity for hard work that the AN-32 aircrafts were inducted and initial training of aircrew was successfully completed in the given time frame.

Air Cmde Ghosh was posted as AOC of an Operational Wing with effect from the 1st Dec 1987. As AOC of this major Air Force Base, he successfully ensured the conduct of Air Maintnenace task in the forward areas, particularly in Siachen Glacier. This task was carried out with a variety of transport aircraft operating from his base. The airlift is the life line of our ground forces operating in an extremely hostile terrain. The personnel involved in the task work under pressure day in and day out throughout the year, irrespective of weather. To sustain such operations requires a high degree of motivation by a committed leadership. These have been demonstrated by Air Cmde Ghosh in ample measure.

Air Commodore Chitta Ranjan Ghosh, VM has, thus, rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Group Captain Sham Rao was commissioned in 1961. He has successfully held AVSM 1990-91 various field and staff assignments and has graduated from the Defence Services Staff College. The officer was commended twice by Chief of the Air Staff in 1979 and 1983 and was awarded Vishisht Seva Medal in 1981.

He joined Dte of Financial Planning as Joint Director in May, 1985. He oversees all financial aspects relating to Five Year Plans, Annual Budgets, Foreign Exchange requirements and monitoring the performance with special reference to modernisation programme. Despite stringent economic conditions obtaining throughout the plan period 1985-90, not only the plan projections were accepted but through relentless efforts, higher annual allocations have also been secured to meet maintenance and on­going requirements and also provide for urgent new modernisation programmes. His thorough understanding of the financial system, total commitment, detailed and timely analysis and proper presentation of facts with convincing arguments have resulted in high quality output, highest standards of data credibility, cost­effectiveness and optimal utilisation of limited resources.

In formulating the Draft 8th Air Force Plan 1990-95, he has done considerable research work by liaisoning with Planning Commission, Indian Statistical Institute and other agencies for determination of resource and assessing maintenance and on­going commitments. The study has helped the Planning Branch in preparation of various models so that the 8th Plan could be submitted to MOD with authentic and irrefutable facts and figures for acceptance and also for better appreciation and implementation. He has successfully introduced computerisation in the Directorate which, besides reducing manual work, he has helped in speedier analysis and informed decision­making relating to budget and plan. This system is going to be of immense value for long time to come.

Group Captain Sham Rao, VSM has, thus, rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Group Captain Amar Jeet Singh Sodhi was commissioned on the 1st December, 1961. He has since held with distinction various assignments connected with aircraft maintenance/servicing.

As the Chief Engineering Officer of the Aviation Research Centre and later, of the vital Transport Base of the Indian Air Force, Group Captain Sodhi ensured highest possible serviceability rates, thereby, ensuring successful completion of high priority operational tasks. The impact of his efficient management and professionalism was manifest in substantial improvements in the entire spectrum of maintenance activities. As Chief Production Officer at a vital Base Repair Depot, he was able to not only reduce the unit cost of production but was also able to raise the production level of the BRD to cover 100% of the planned targets through effective control, forecasting and regular monitoring of the inventory.

As Director Engineering 'D' in Air Headquarters since September 1986, Group Captain Sodhi has been responsible for maintenance management of the Indian Air Force transport fleet of the Soviet origin. Bringing to bear his thorough professional expertise, managerial acumen and dedicated application, he has been responsible for the smooth induction of additional IL-76, AN-32, Mi-17 and Mi26 aircraft and helicopters into the Indian Air Force during the last two years. His systematic review of existing spares backing vis­à­vis immediate and future requirements has ensured a very high fleet serviceability to meet operational commitments. The on­call availability of the transport fleet during the last two years in 'Operation Pawan', 'Operation Meghdoot', 'Operation Cactus' and the 'Armenian Relief Operation' is really a tribute to the officer's ability to respond effectively and immediately even to unplanned escalations in demand for spares and maintenance support.

During his tenure as Director Engineering 'D', he also pioneered the task of not only setting up the Cat 'B' and Intermediate Repair Lines of AN-32, but also the servicing facilities for the aircraft at HAL Barrackpore and HAL Agra. The erection and successful commissioning of the first overhaul facilities for AN-32 Aero-engines at a vital Base Repair Depot is yet another example of the officer's untiring efforts to enhance the operational preparedness of the Air Force.

Group Captain Amar Jeet Singh Sodhi has, thus, rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.

Group Captain Chittatoor Doraiswamy Chandrasekhar was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a Fighter Pilot in April, 1964. He has been posted as Station Commander of an operational station w.e.f. the 25th March, 1987. It was through his guidance and support that the fighter Squadron at his base achieved a high operational status and was given the highest grading amongst all the fighter Sqns. The Pechora Sqn at the Base was adjudged the best maintained Sqn in the IAF in 1987-88 and subsequently, was awarded the best Combat Crew Trophy for the year 1988-89.

He ensured that the administrative and maintenance support provided to the lodger units was oriented towards achieving a high degree of operational preparedness. Serviceability of the fighter Sqn had been the highest in the Type-75 fleet, providing 70% serviceability over the last two years. The mechanical transport state has been maintained at around 90% inspite of the limited resources and inadequate availability of spares in the local market.

Group Captain Chandrasekhar, through dedicated hardwork and untiring efforts ensured that the front­line Base and its lodger units under his command were kept at peak operational preparedness with well maintained machines and highly trained and motivated man­power.

Group Captain Chittatoor Doraiswamy Chandrasekhar, VM has thus, rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order.