Air Marshal (retd) PK Barbora, a Shillong-born former Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force, died today.
The IAF has mourned the loss of the first officer from the North East to attain such a high rank.
Barbora had been undergoing medical treatment in New Delhi at the time of his passing.
Born in Shillong on December 10, 1950, he embarked on his illustrious journey as a fighter pilot when he was commissioned into the IAF on June 13, 1970.
He accumulated extensive flying experience over his career, amassing more than 3,500 flight hours and flew in battle just a year after being commissioned in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War.
Barbora was also a key member of the IAF team that ushered in the first Jaguar squadron and introduced the IAF’s maiden air combat simulator, a pioneering initiative in Asia.
His operational roles included commanding a MiG-21 squadron, serving as the Chief Operations Officer of a fighter airbase and being the Air Officer Commanding of a major fighter airbase within Eastern Air Command.
In addition, his career featured international responsibilities. He was once Air Attaché at the Indian embassy in Moscow. Subsequently, he played a crucial role as the Assistant Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Perspective Plans and Force Structure) at HQ Integrated Defence Staff. He also assumed the role of Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Inspection) at Air Headquarters.
His tenure included serving as the Senior Air Staff Officer of the Eastern Air Command before taking on the position of Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) for the first time. Following his exemplary service, he became the AOC-in-C of the Western Air Command (WAC).
His contributions and dedication to the nation were recognized with numerous honours and awards, including the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Vayu Sena Medal. Moreover, Barbora had the distinct honour of serving as one of the honorary Aides-de-Camp (ADC) to the President, who is the Supreme Commander of the armed forces.