Former Vice-Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal P.M. Ramachandran, passed away on Thursday at his residence in the city after a brief illness. He held a number of posts in the Indian Air Force (IAF). As the Vice-Chief of the Air Force, he was in charge of the operational deployment of India’s short range ballistic missile Prithvi. He was awarded the PVSM, AVSM, SC and VM in a career with the IAF that spanned almost four decades. Ramachandran was the first pilot from outside the Soviet Bloc to be permitted to fly the MiG-25 Foxbat in 1979, the release said.

Source: The Hindu May 06, 2021 18:39 UTC