vittachakra

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Gp Capt Vijay Kumar Narayan Sapre passed away yesterday at the age of 80. A Vir Chakra awardee from the IPKF operations, he was one of those helicopter leaders who carried the weight of the campaign on his shoulders. The Jaffna University helidrop, launched at midnight on 12 October, was the opening blow of Operation Pawan, a fast Mi-8 assault by 109 HU carrying 10 Para Commandos and 13 Sikh Light Infantry to the LTTE’s tactical headquarters. The aim was to decapitate the leadership and shorten the war. Wg Cdr V K N Sapre, commanding 109 HU, led the first wave in blackout conditions and put the initial sticks of Para Commandos on the ground. As they tried to secure the landing ground, they were pinned by heavy LTTE fire. Subsequent waves met a transformed battlefield. Heavy machine guns and RPGs now covered the approach. Sapre and his crews flew repeated shuttles under intense fire, landing troops, adjusting loads and coaxing damaged Mi-8s back to Palali. By the end of the night, his helicopter had suffered hydraulic damage and others had shot undercarriages, missing panels and fuselages peppered with bullet holes. On the ground, the Para Commandos were isolated and surrounded by hundreds of LTTE fighters. The Sikh Light Infantry detachment was virtually wiped out, with only one survivor, Sepoy Gora Singh, taken prisoner. The Paras were eventually rescued after fierce fighting by a relief force that included SF troops and a tank column. Ten gallantry awards followed, but the losses of 13 Sikh LI and 10 Para marked the night forever. Through it all, Sapre flew three of the most dangerous missions of the operation. His Vir Chakra citation records 150 sorties in theatre, seventy six during the hostile phase, and honours the quiet, relentless bravery that defines helicopter operations in war. Vijay Kumar Narayan Sapre belonged to the 98 Pilots Course and came through the NDA. He began flying with 104 HU in 1968. He later served as a flying instructor in Iraq, became Flight Commander of the AEB Helicopter Flight, commanded 109 HU from 1987 to 1989, served as Station Commander at Mohanbari (42 Wing) from 1991 to 1993, and then took over as Commanding Officer of the Helicopter Training School from 1993 to 1996. He retired as a Group Captain on 31 August 1997. May he rest in peace. #IAFHistory @IAF_MCC