Air Chief Marshal Jamal Ahmad Khan Afridi NI(M) HI(M) SJ SI(M) SBt (Urdu: جمال احمد خان ; b. 15 April 1934) is a retired four-star air officer who served as the Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force from 1985 until 1988.[1] He also commanded the United Arab Emirates Air Force from 1977 until 1980.
Jamal Ahmad Khan جمال احمد خان | |
|---|---|
| Chief of Air Staff | |
| In office 6 March 1985 – 9 March 1988 | |
| Preceded by | ACM Anwar Shamim |
| Succeeded by | ACM H.K. Durrani |
| President of Pakistan Squash Federation | |
| In office 1987–1988 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jamal Ahmad Khan Afridi 15 April 1934 Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, British India (Present-day in Uttar Pradesh in India) |
| Citizenship |  Pakistan |
| Relations | Air Commodore (R) Najeeb A. Khan (Brother) |
| Nickname | Jamal |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Pakistan |
| Branch/service |  Pakistan Air Force |
| Years of service | 1952–1988 |
| Rank |   Air Chief MarshalPak/5057 |
| Unit | No. 11 Squadron Arrows |
| Commands | Vice Chief of the Air Staff DCAS (Air Operations) Pakistan Armed Forces–Middle East Command UAE Air Force JAG Corps, Air Force ACAS (Plans) |
| Battles/wars | Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 |
| Awards |  Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military) Sitara-e-Jurat Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military) Sitara-e-Basalat |
Biography
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Jamal Ahmad Khan was born in Kaimganj, Farrukhabad district in India, on 15 April 1934.[4][5]
In 1952, after the partition of India, he joined the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). He was sent to attend the Pakistan Air Force Academy in Risalpur, and was one of the few cadets who were selected to attend the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado, United States.: 348–349 [6] Upon completing the pilot training program from the USAF Academy in 1953, Jamal was commissioned in the No. 11 Squadron Arrows, initially trained to fly the British Supermarine Attacker.: 349 [6] He was further trained in the United States as a test pilot, eventually qualified to fly the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter.: 349 [6]: contents [7]
In 1965, Squadron-Leader Jamal flew his F-104 to intercept an Indian Air Force English Electric Canberra at 33,000 feet (10,000 m) above, shooting down the Canberra with a Sidewinder missile near the Fazilka district, inside Pakistani territory.[3] This was recorded as the first kill achieved by an F-104 at night after a number of near misses.[3]: 94 [2]
In 1971, Wing-Commander Jamal continued flying his F-104 on the western front of the third war with India. Wg-Cdr. Jamal shot down another Canberra with an AIM-9B missile; the Canberra pilot perished.: 80 [2]
After the war, Group Captain Jamal was posted to a Command Operations Center at the Air Headquarters (AHQ) in Islamabad until appointed as base commander of the Sargodha Air Force Base.: 351 [6][8] In 1975, Air Commodore Jamal joined the JAG Corps, Air Force, appointed its chief inspector and later judge advocate general.: 351 [6] For some time, Air Cdre. Jamal served as the ACAS (Plans) at the AHQ before being promoted to the two-star rank, Air vice-marshal (AVM).: 351 [6]
In 1977, AVM Jamal was posted as an AOC at the Pakistan Armed Forces–Middle East Command, and seconded to command the United Arab Emirates Air Force until 1980.: 351 [6] During this time, AVM Jamal took over the command of the Pakistan Armed Forces–Middle East Command, serving as its commander until 1980.: 195–197 [9] Upon returning, AVM Jamal flew the MiG-19 and MiG-21 for test trial purposes.: 110 [10] During this time, he went to the United States to complete his training to fly the F-16A. He was the first Pakistani to fly the F-16A in the United States, and later returned to Pakistan.: 349–351 [6]
In 1982–83, Air-Marshal Jamal was appointed as DCAS (Air Operations), and later appointed as Vice Chief of the Air Staff in 1984.: 349 [6]
In 1985, Air-Mshl. Jamal was promoted to four-star rank, Air Chief Marshal (ACM), and took over command of the Pakistan Air Force as its Chief of Air Staff.: 199–200 [11] In 1987, ACM Jamal launched the project to develop and design a fighter jet, with Grumman Aerospace as its consultant.: 145 [12] After completing his tenure, ACM Jamal was succeeded by ACM H.K. Durrani on 6 March 1988.: 180 [13] After his retirement, he settled in Islamabad, and worked as an aviation historian, contributing to the book on aerial aviation, The Story of the Pakistan Air Force, 1988-1998: A Battle Against Odds.: 351 [8]
Awards & Decorations
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| PAF GD(P) Badge RED (More than 3000 Flying Hours) | |||
| Nishan-e-Imtiaz
(Order of Excellence) |
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| Hilal-e-Imtiaz
(Crescent of Excellence) |
Sitara-e-Jurat
(Star of Courage) |
Sitara-e-Imtiaz
(Star of Excellence) |
Sitara-e-Basalat
(Star of Good Conduct) |
| Tamgha-e-Diffa
(General Service Medal) 1. 1965 War Clasp 2. 1971 War Clasp |
Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War
(War Star 1965) |
Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War
(War Star 1971) |
Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War
(War Medal 1965) |
| Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War
(War Medal 1971) |
Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-
(100th Birth Anniversary of 1976 |
Tamgha-e-Jamhuria
(Republic Commemoration Medal) 1956 |
Hijri Tamgha
(Hijri Medal) 1979 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "PAKISTAN AIR FORCE - Official website". www.paf.gov.pk. ISPR (Air Force Division). Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ a b c Davies, Peter E. (2014). "Mach Power 2" (google books). F-104 Starfighter Units in Combat (1st ed.). Bloomington, IN, USA: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 100. ISBN 9781780963143. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ a b c Hali, PAF, Gp-Capt (Col.) S.M.; Sehgal, Ikram (May 2000). "F-104 Starfighters in Pakistan Air Force". www.defencejournal.com. Islamabad, Pakistan: Defence Journal, 2000. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ Singh, Nagendra Kr (2001). Encyclopaedia of Muslim Biography: I-M. A.P.H. Publishing Corporation. ISBN 9788176482332. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ The Army Quarterly and Defence Journal. West of England Press. 1986. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Shaikh, A. Rashid (2000). The Story of the Pakistan Air Force, 1988-1998: A Battle Against Odds (google books) (1st ed.). Karachi, Pakistan: Shaheen Foundation. p. 414. ISBN 9789698553005. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ Bowman, Martin (2016). Cold War Jet Combat: Air-to-Air Jet Fighter Operations 1950-1972. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781473874626. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ a b Rashid Shaikh, A. (2000). Excerpts. Shaheen Foundation. ISBN 9789698553005.
- ^ IDSA News Review on South Asia/Indian Ocean. Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. 1985.
- ^ Hussain, Syed Shabbir; Qureshi, M. Tariq (1982). History of the Pakistan Air Force, 1947-1982. Pakistan Air Force. ISBN 978-0-19-648045-9. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ Copley, Gregory R. (1985). Defense & Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy. Copley & Associates. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ Siddiqa-Agha, A. (2001). Pakistan's Arms Procurement and Military Buildup, 1979-99: In Search of a Policy. Springer. ISBN 9780230513525. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ Burki, Shahid Javed; Baxter, Craig; LaPorte, Robert; Azfar, Kamal (1991). Pakistan Under the Military: Eleven Years of Zia Ul-Haq. Westview Press. ISBN 9780813379852.
External links
edit- PAF s' Chief of Air Staffs
- Fricker, John (1979). Battle for Pakistan: The Air War of 1965. I. Allan. ISBN 9780711009295. Retrieved 8 January 2018.