Former IAF Vice Chief P.K. Barbora passes away

Guwahati/New Delhi, Oct 31: IAF's former Vice Chief, Air Marshal P.K. Barbora (retd) passed away on Monday at the Army Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi following illness. He was 72.

Defence spokesman Lt. Col Mahendra Rawat said that Air Marshal Barbora, who was born in Shillong and was commissioned into the IAF as a fighter pilot on June 13, 1970, was the first personality hailing from northeast India to reach such a coveted high post in the armed forces.

He had served as IAF Vice Chief from June 2009 to December 2010.

A highly experienced aviator with over 3,500 hours flying to his credit, he took part in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. He twice served in the Directorate of Air Staff Inspection (DASI) at Air Headquarters. Air Marshal Barbora was a member of the IAF team that inducted the first Jaguar Squadron and also the IAF’s maiden Air Combat Simulator - the first of its kind in Asia.

He had also served as Air Attache at the Indian Embassy in Moscow and the Assistant Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, Perspective Plans and Force Structure, in HQ Integrated Defence Staff besides holding the appointment of Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Inspection, at Air Headquarters and heading the frontline Western Air Command.

Air Marshal Barbora was a recipient of Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Vayu Sena Medal.