Palamadai Muthuswamy Ramachandran

Palamadai Muthuswamy Ramachandran

PVSM, AVSM, SC, VM
Born(1935-02-24)24 February 1935
Died6 May 2021(2021-05-06) (aged 86)[1]
Allegiance India
Service / branch Indian Air Force
Years of service8 Oct 1955 – 28 February 1993
Rank Air Marshal
Service number4973
Commands28 Sqn, IAF

Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment

Air Force Station, Ambala
Battles / warsLiberation of Goa
AwardsParam Vishisht Seva Medal
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Shaurya Chakra
Vayusena Medal

Palamadai Muthuswamy Ramachandran, PVSM, AVSM, SC, VM (24 February 1935 – 6 May 2021) was an Indian Air Force officer.[2]

Ramachandran was commissioned as a pilot into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in 1955. He participated in the Liberation of Goa in 1961 where he destroyed the Portuguese patrol boat NRP Vega, for which he was awarded a Shaurya Chakra.[3]

Ramachandran qualified as an experimental test pilot at the Empire Test Pilots' School in the UK, where he was awarded the Edward's Award for best all-around progress in the course. He then did extensive test flying at various Indian Air Force and HAL establishments, including on the Jaguar, MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-25 aircraft.[4] In 1979, Ramachandran became the first pilot from outside the Soviet bloc to be permitted to fly the MiG-25 Foxbat.[5][6]

Ramachandran's command and staff appointments during his career include: Commanding Officer, 28 Sqn, IAF; set up and first Commanding Officer of the IAF Experimental Test Pilot's School; Commandant, Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment; Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station, Ambala and Vice Chief of Air Staff. As Vice Chief, Ramachandran was responsible for the operational deployment of India's short range ballistic missile, Prithvi.[7]

Ramachandran was a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College and National Defence College, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and Member of the Aeronautical Society of India.[8]

  1. ^ Air Marshal PM Ramachandran dies at 86
  2. ^ "Service Record for Air Marshal Palamadai Muthuswamy Ramachandran". Archived from the original on 8 September 2020.
  3. ^ "The sinking of N.R.P.Vega - a first person narrative". bharat-rakshak.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Military Yearbook 1991-92" by J Baranwal (Ed), ISSN 0076-8782
  5. ^ "Evaluating Fighter aircraft in the Soviet Union". bharat-rakshak.com. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  6. ^ "First Indian Air Force pilot to fly the MiG-25 fighter Aircraft". Archived from the original on 9 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Weapons of Peace" by Chengappa, Raj, ISBN 978-8172233303
  8. ^ "Military Yearbook 1991-92" by J Baranwal (Ed), ISSN 0076-8782