The Good Die Young: Maj Akshay Girish Kumar – RIP

Got a message early this morning from Eddie while Koch and I were on the golf course, informing us of the passing away of Akshay, son of Girish and Meghna, in the encounter at Nagrota yesterday – 29 Nov 16.

What can one say at moments like this? That he died a hero? Bravely doing his duty? Mission accomplished? How banal it all sounds. How does that cut through the grief and the loss that Sangeeta, Meghna and Girish are going through right now? No nothing will cut through that.

Please know, however, that this Marut family of yours, through its own tears and grief, is totally there for you right now, sharing your loss, pain and misery and trying to give you strength.

This nation owes you big time.

Truly, only the good die young.

 

 

 

YOU DONT MESS WITH SHUKS – a sam sekhar kahani

The year is 1972 and Pokran range was not yet been thought about as a nuke range. Tiger and Dagger squadrons would proceed for range work every two months for around three weeks to various airfields.

WRITTEN WARNING from fellow POW in POW camp!

It is a day in December 1971 and somewhere on an airfield in the western sector the time is 0632 Hours and from blast pen number 23 Kamelot does a sprint taxy and heads for the western dumbbell.He is loaded with 55 Sneb Rockets and 600 30 MM rounds.He has two drop tanks.He moves on to the Parallel Taxy Way and smoothly opens up both engines and is soon airborne.

THE DAY BOBCAT AND CHETAH NEARLY MADE THE MARUT INTO A D.P.S.A. – Sam Sekhar

From Left – Sudhir Batman Batra, KKB & Boss Jit, Bobby Kasbekar, Boo Srikant.

The time was early Seventies. Jodhpur was a flying paradise for the Daggers and the Tigers. There was One Bossman, Two Flight Commanders, One Flight Lieutenant and Four Flying Officers. The serviceability was exceptional and the pilots were happy.

The Fledgling Marut Days: Air Msh PV Athawale (Retd)

(From the book “Indian Air Force: The Maintenance Paradigm” by Air Mshl PV Athawale

I have been blessed by what I call ‘the ideal script for leadership’. I began my journey in the Air Force at the ‘Marut’ base under the stewardship of the Chief Engineering Officer, Wg Cdr SS Ramdas and later found Air Mshl VA Patkar, the AOM to lead me to my destination. The following examples have been a source of motivation for me throughout my career

Maruts At Uttarlai – 1971 Revisted

In late Nov 71 Yayha Khan, in a speech said he could be at war in 10 days time.

Original Photograph by AVM Pinky Pillai, Uttarlai

From mid-71 detachments of No 10 and No 220 Sqn operated in rotation from Uttarlai. In Nov 71 both squadrons moved detachments of six Marut aircraft each to Uttarlai. A Gnat detachment was also positioned there for Air Defence Duties.

To their good fortune Wg Cdr Murph Murthy, the first Marut Boss, was the Base Commander.

Murph Murthy with his top guns Wg Cdr Aggy Agarwal, 10 Sqn Boss on the left and Wg Cdr Jit Dhawan Boss 220 Sqn at right. (Air Cmde Murthy))

Have compiled a brief narrative of some events during the war. This does not purport to be a record for history as it is based on recollections of those who were there over 40 years ago and memories are now not what they used to be. Neither are we!

10 Sqn – Boss Aggy Aggarwal, Mickey Jatar, Pete Gaynor, Kamy Kamat, Sis, Jug Jug, Panchi Sidhu, Y Chauhan,  GS Sarao and  DNGP Rao.

220 Sqn – – Jit Dhawan, Joe Bakshi, Brian deMagry, Dinky Jatar Brother Bhargava, Bobby Kasbekar, Bats Batra, Pradeep Apte and KP

Aircrew and Technical Officers of 10 and 220 Sqn at Uttarlai, Dec 1971. Flt Lt Jug Jug Kapoor, Sqn Ldr Pete Gaynor, Flt Lt Brian DeMagry, Flt Lt Panchi Sidhu, Flt Lt Sudhir Batra, Boss Jit Dhawan, Flt Lt Bobby Kasbekar, Boss Aggy Agarwal, Flt Lt Y Chauhan, Fg Offr BR Kapoor, Sqn Ldr Joe bakshi, Fg Offr KP Sreekant, Fg Offr Srirengan. Sitting: Flt Lt GS Sarrao. (Photograph courtesy Sudhir Batra)

HF-24 Problems From Its Design

By Group Captain Kapil Bhargava VM (Retd)

 

This is the third and final part of my personal story of Design & Development of the HF-24. My earlier caution declared before the text of Part 1 stands for this Part 3 as well, hopefully the last one on the subject. To remind, this is also from memory and should be taken as my personal and coloured views. Please do not treat any of these articles as authentic history of the HF-24 project.

Bangalore: D – Day 17 Jun – II

The official function to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Marut was held at the Ghatge Convention Centre on the morning of 17 Jun 11.  Air Mshl KJ Mathews was the Chief Guest. He is one of our own – an old Marut hand. There were also, perhaps, the last lot of serving Air Marshals from the Maruts present, it made us proud to see them there keeping the flag flying. The audience also included some of the real great names involved with the early Marut development and testing – Inder Mohan Chopra, Groupie Keshu, Kapil Bhargava, Chuchu Tilak, Babi Dey and the like.

Bangalore: They Dreamt it…We Lived it – I

The Dream

Sometime in 2006/7 Ahlu and Steve, who were in Chennai, first proposed a get together of the Marut Clan. I expressed my inability to attend, I don’t even remember why.

The Marut Story – II: Operational

The IAF accepted the first four Maruts in May 1964 from HAL. Subsequently, it took three more years of testing etc before it entered squadron service.