Key Points
New Delhi: Air Marshal Ravinder Nath Bharadwaj, the junior-most Indian Air Force (IAF) officer to be awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his valour in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war passed away on 13 February, 2024 at his residence in Noida..
On 5 December 1971, Squadron Leader Bharadwaj led a raid on a Pakistani airfield, damaging an enemy heavy transport aircraft..
On 8 December 1971, Squadron Leader Bharadwaj, along with Flying Officer V.K. Heble, Flying Officer B.C. Karambaya and Flight Lieutenant A.L. Deoskar led a raid on the Murid airbase, roughly 120 kilometres inside of Pakistani territory, as reported by NDTV...
His actions during the 1971 War earned him a Maha Vir Chakra, which was notified in the Gazette of India on 12 February, 1972.He has displayed exceptional gallantry, leadership and bravery in the face of heavy odds, which are in the highest traditions of the Air Force, read the presidential citation of the Maha Vir Chakra...
Post the 1971 War, Air Marshal Bharadwaj was Commodore Commandant of the No. 26 Squadron before being appointed as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the Southern Air Command in May 1992, before superannuating from the force in 1993...
