Kambampati Nachiketa

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Kambampati Nachiketa
31 May 1973 -
Image:Nachiketa.jpg
Photo of Flt Lt Nachiketa from his Identity Card
Nickname Nachi
Allegiance India
Years of service 1990 -
Rank Squadron Leader
Unit No. 9 Squadron, No.48 Squadron
Battles/wars Kargil War
Awards Vayusena Medal (Gallantry)

Squadron Leader Kambampati Nachiketa Vayusena Medal (Gallantry) [1], is currently a serving officer of the Indian Air Force. Sqd Ldr Nachiketa came into the limelight during the Kargil War when on 27 May 1999 , as a Flight Lieutenant, he was captured by Pakistani troops in Kashmir following ejection from his Mig 27 aircraft after suffering engine flame-out[2] while flying against infiltrator positions during the initial stages of Operation Safed Sagar. He was held in Pakistani custody as the first Indian prisoner of war of the conflict.

Sqd Ldr Nachiketa was born on 31st May 1973 to Mr K R K Sastry and Mrs Laxmi Sastry[3] . He studied at Kendriya Vidyalaya in Delhi, and joined up in the Indian Air Force after training at the National Defence Academy at Khadakvasla, near Pune.

Contents

[edit] Kargil War

Nachiketa was a Flight Lieutenant during the Kargil Operations. He was one of the pilots from No. 9 Squadron, Indian Air Force who took part on a strike in the Batalik Sector on 26 May 1999 [4] . Armed with 40 deadly 80mm rockets, Nachiketa carried out an attack on an enemy concentration. He carried out a second attack on the target using the aircraft's 30mm cannon. Firing the aircraft's cannon in the rarefied atmosphere resulted in the ingestion of fumes into the engine air intake. Subsequently the engine flamed out.

All attempts to re-light the engine failed and Nachiketa was forced to eject.

After landing on ground, It appears that initially Nachiketa was able to gather his wits and evade immediate capture. However after two to three hours, a Pakistani Army patrol ambushed him[5] . Nachiketa used his Russian made Makarov pistol to exchange fire with the Pakistanis. However he was outnumbered and surrounded from all sides. He was forced to surrender as soon as he ran out of ammunition.

[edit] Shoot down of Wingman

Flying top cover to the MiG-27s were MiG-21M aircraft of No.17 Squadron, Indian Air Force. One of the escort pilots Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja left his station and came in low to locate Nachiketa. He was fired at by a Stinger missile and was shot down. Ahuja ejected but was killed in a gun-fire exchange with Pakistani Ground troops.

[edit] Claims and Counterclaims

The Pakistanis all along claimed that Nachiketa's MiG-27 was shot down by ground fire. An award of the Tamgha-i-Juraat was also made to a soldier who was said to have used a Stinger missile to down him [6]. However an unofficial Pakistani Air Force source, PAFCombat.com, maintained by retired Air Commodore Kaiser Tufail of the PAF admits that Nachiketas MiG crashed due to "gun gas injection resulting in engine flame out"[7].

[edit] Life as a Prisoner

Nachiketa was first taken to an undisclosed place in the Batalik Sector. After a two-hour wait, he was taken by helicopter to Skardu.When questioned about his treatment at the hands of Pakistan, Nachiketa said it was fine but he refused to go into any further. details.http://www.kashmir-information.com/Heroes/nachiketa1.html

[edit] Repatriation

Nachiketa remained a prisoner for about a week before he was repatriated to India on 3rd June 1999. He was handed over to ICRC authorities in Pakistan and subsequently was repatriated over the Indian border checkpost at Wagah, on the Lahore Amritsar Road.

Subsequently on 15th August 1999, Flt Lt Nachiketa was awarded the Vayusena Medal Gallantry by the Government of India.

Nachiketa is currently a Squadron Leader and flies Antonov-32 transport aircraft with No.48 Squadron, Indian Air Force stationed at Chandigarh. He was transferred to Transports after it was revealed that he suffered from Spinal compression from his earlier ejection.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Service Record of Flt Lt Kambampati Nachiketa 22930 F(P) (HTML). www.bharat-rakshak.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-20.
  2. ^ BBC News Service. India loses two jets
  3. ^ Flt Lt K Nachiketa VM (HTML). Sam's Indian Air Force Down Under. Retrieved on 2006-08-19.
  4. ^ Engine Flameout (HTML). bharat-rakshak.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-16.
  5. ^ No fear of flying for this Kargil hero (HTML). Times of India. Retrieved on 2006-08-16.
  6. ^ Flyer pushes frontier again - Nachiketa returns to area where his plane was shot down (HTML). Telegraph India. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
  7. ^ IAF Losses - Siachen and Kargil (HTML). Air Cmde Kaiser Tufail. PAF Combat. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
Persondata
NAME Nachiketa, Kambampati
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Nachi
SHORT DESCRIPTION Flight Lieutenant, Now Squadron Leader
DATE OF BIRTH
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH