IAF chief pays tribute to Kargil war hero

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 28

IAF chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa on Saturday led a four-aircraft ‘Missing Man’ formation flypast at the Air Force Station in Bathinda to honour his fallen comrade Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, who died during the Kargil conflict.  

Squadron Leader Ahuja’s wife Alka and son Ankur were present at the flypast.

On May 27, 1999, Squadron Leader Ahuja was shot dead by Pakistani soldiers after he had ejected over the Batalik sector along the Line of Control (LoC), 200 km north-east of Leh in J&K. Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa was then commanding the Golden Arrows Squadron based in Srinagar and Squadron Leader Ahuja was the Flight Commander. He was later awarded Vir Chakra posthumously,

“We must learn from the past, practise in the present so that we win in the future,” Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa told his pilots at the base. The ‘Missing Man’ flypast is an aerial salute to honour the fallen comrades-in-arms.