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SHAHEED-E- WATAN
| | | | PILOT OFFICER RASHID MINHAS On August 20, 1971 Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas, a pilot still under training, was taxiing out a T-33 Jet trainer for take-off. An instructor pilot from the same unit forced his way into the rear cockpit, seized control of the aircraft and having taken off, headed the aircraft towards India. With just 40 miles of Pakistan territory remaining, having failed to regain control of his aircraft, Minhas had only one course of action open to him to prevent his aircraft from being taken to India. Living up to the highest traditions of Pakistan Air Force, he valiantly forced his aircraft to crash at a point 32 miles from the Indian border. In doing so Pilot Officer Minhas deliberately made the supreme sacrifice of his life for the honour of Pakistan and the service to which he belonged. For this act of heroism above and beyond the call of duty, he was awarded the highest gallantry award of Nishan-i-Haider. |
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PAF DOWNS ISREALY MIRAGE
| 26 April, 1974 | | | | | | | | This is an encounter over Golan Heights between a Mig-21 of the Syrian Air Force picture and two Israeli Mirages. A Mirage is seen disintegrating after being hit by a missile while the Mig-21, flown by Flight Lieutenant Sattar Alvi, PAF, prepares to engage the second Mirage. An added feature of this engagement was that the Air Defence Controller, Sqn Ldr Saleem Metla was also a Pakistani. While leading a Mig-21 patrol along the border, Sqn Ldr Arif Manzoor, also of the PAF was apprised of the presence of two Israeli Phantom aircraft and was cautioned that these could be decoys while two other fast tracks approaching from the opposite direction might be the real threat. The latter turned out to be Mirages and a moment later Alvi, in Arif’s formation saw the No 2 Mirage breaking towards him. All this time, heavy radio jamming by Israeli ground stations was making things difficult but the Pakistani pilots were used to such tactics. Sattar forced the Israeli pair into close combat, firing his K-13 missile at the first opportunity. The Israeli wingman’s Mirage exploded into a ball of fire, while the leader quickly disengaged. | | | |
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