Spotlight On Op Sindoor, Air Force As Distinguished Service Awards Announced

Operation Sindoor -- India's strongest military action till date against Pakistan-backed terror bases and retaliatory action against Pakistani armed offensive following the Pahalgam attack -- occupied the high spot in the annual list of military honours announced on the eve of 79th Independence Day.

Not only were the military brass involved in the planning and execution of Operation Sindoor honoured, acts of gallantry by military personnel -- especially the Air Force, which played a key role in decimating the terrorist groups' headquarters and Pakistan military assets -- were high on honour rolls. 

Nine IAF pilots involved in the precision strikes on terror infrastructure and military installations in Pakistan were conferred Vir Chakra, the third highest wartime gallantry award. One pilot was named for Shaurya Chakra. The Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal -- the country's highest wartime distinguished service decoration - will be awarded to seven officers of the armed forces. Of them, four are among the top officers of the Indian Air Force. 

Twenty pilots and six other IAF personnel were named for the Vayu Sena medal.

This is the first time the number of IAF officers being decorated are more than the Army and the Navy. 

The officers who would receive the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal are:

• Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, GOC-in-C Northern Command
• Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, DG Military Ops
• Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh (Retd) - FOC-in-C Western Naval Command
• Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, Vice Chief of Air Staff
• Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor - AOC-in-C Southern Air Command
• Air Marshal Jeetandra Mishra - AOC-in-C Western Air Command
• Air Marshal AK Bharti - DGAO

The Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal was last distributed to the IAF after the Kargil war. The award is a war-time equivalent of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal that is given for distinguished service of the most exceptional order. 

The government has said the Air Force played a crucial role in delivering precision strikes against terror infrastructure across Pakistan. 

It conducted high-impact air operations on targets such as the Nur Khan Air Base and the Rahimyar Khan Air Base, with visual evidence of damage presented during official briefings. 

"The Air Force's robust air defence environment proved pivotal in protecting Indian airspace during retaliatory drone and UAV attacks from across the border. The indigenously developed Akash surface-to-air missile system and legacy platforms like the Pechora and OSA-AK were deployed effectively in a layered defence grid. The IAF's Integrated Air Command and Control System enabled real-time coordination of air assets, allowing Indian forces to neutralize aerial threats efficiently and maintain net-centric operations throughout the conflict," the government said.

Operation Sindoor - the strongest retaliatory action following the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam - is expected to be the centerpiece of this year's Independence Day celebrations. 

Already floral decorations celebrating it have made an appearance in parts of Delhi and its logo on Gyanpath, the avenue at the heart of the city. It has been seen on the Independence Day invitations and is expected to adorn the dais. Helicopters will hold a special fly-past to mark the massive success of the operation.  

The four-day operation of the armed forces is also expected to feature in the customary address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the ramparts of the Red Fort. The decorated officers will share the dais with PM Modi. 

Sixteen Border Security Force personnel have been awarded gallantry medals for displaying "conspicuous bravery" and "unmatched valour" during Operation Sindoor.

India had struck nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir eliminating over a hundred terrorists, during Op Sindoor from May 7 to May 10. Six Pakistani aircraft - including five fighter jets and another large aircraft - were downed. Aerial strikes were also conducted against 11 Pakistani air bases, including Nur Khan (Chaklala), Rafiqui, Murid, Sukkur, Sialkot, Pasrur, Chunian, Sargodha, Skardu, Bholari, and Jacobabad.