In a rare feat, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa on Monday, 27 May flew the 'missing man' formation in a MiG-21 aircraft to pay tributes to Squadran Leader Ajay Ahuja and other fallen heroes of the Kargil war.
He was accompanied by Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) Western Air Command Air Marshal R Nambiar in the flypast organised at Air Force Station in Bhatinda.
The 'missing man' formation is an aerial salute accorded to honour fallen comrades-in-arms. It is an arrow formation, with a gap between two aircraft in the formation depicting the missing man, the IAF said in a statement.
The Chief of the Air staff, led a four-aircraft MiG-21 ‘missing man’ formation flypast to honour the valour and supreme sacrifice of men killed in action during ‘Operation Safed Sagar’ at Kargil, an IAF spokesperson told PTI.
Later, in a sombre ceremony, he laid a wreath at the War Memorial to honour the IAF men who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.
It is rare for two top IAF functionaries to fly together in a formation. Both are Kargil veterans as they had flown missions during the conflict in 1999.
Nambiar, who is also one of the strong contenders to become IAF chief after Dhanoa, had flown Mirage 2000 during the Kargil war, while Dhanoa had commanded an MiG-21 squadron.
During the Kargil war, only Mirage 2000s had laser designated pods for precision bombing. He said that inclusion of heavy-lift helicopter Chinook and attack helicopter Apache will further enhance IAF's capabilities.
Who Was Ajay Ahuja?
Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja had laid down his life during the Kargil conflict. He was at that time the Flight Commander of 17 Squadron and was awarded the Vir Chakra posthumously for his valour during the conflict which took place 20 years ago.
“We have a feeling of nostalgia. We remember Ajay Ahuja. He was our flight commander. Not only that, this was his third posting with me. We had served together even in 101 Squadron," he said.
"He was my number 2, he was my flight commander. Every year we pay homage to him on the 27th (May),” he added.
On the occasion, Alka Ahuja, widow of Ajay Ahuja, also paid tribute to the late IAF officer.
On 28 May, the air chief will visit Air Force Station in Sarsawa, Uttar Pradesh and fly in an Mi-17V-5 'missing man' formation to commemorate the Kargil martyrs.
Govt’s Decision to Buy Two Squadrons of Rafale Game Changing: Dhanoa
After the flight, Dhanoa said that the government's decision to buy two squadrons of Rafale was game changing.
"Rafale has a capability that enemy cannot interfere in your air operations. That is a big thing," he said.
"Rafale comes and changes the balance back to us," he added.
He said the IAF has enhanced its capability immensely since the Kargil war as all the fighters were now equipped with precision weapons.
(With inputs from IANS and PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)