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			{{Short description\|Pakistani fighter pilot (1935–2013
	{{Infobox Military Person
			)}}
	\|name= Muhammad Mahmood Alam khan
			{{EngvarB\|date=September 2014}}
	\|lived= born ], ]
			{{Use dmy dates\|date=September 2014}}
	\|placeofbirth= ], ]
			{{Infobox military person
	\|placeofdeath=
			\| honorific prefix = Air Commodore
	\|image= <!-- Deleted image removed: ] -->
			\| honorific_prefix = ]
	\|caption=MM Alam in 1965, ]
			\| name = M.M. Alam
	\|nickname=
			\| honorific_suffix = ]<br />] ]
	\|allegiance= ]
			\| native_name_lang = Bangla
	\|serviceyears=
			\| birth_date = {{birth date\|df=yes\|1935\|7\|6}}
	\|branch=]
			\| birth_place = ], ], ]<br/>{{small\|(present-day, ], ], ])}}
	\|rank= ]
			\| death_date = {{death date and age\|df=yes\|2013\|3\|18\|1935\|7\|6}}
	\|commands=
			\| death_place = ], ], Pakistan
	\|unit=
			\| caption = Muhammad Mahmood Alam in 2010
	\|battles= ]
			\| image = MM alam in 2010.jpg
	\|awards= ] and ]
			\| alt =
	\|laterwork=
			\| nickname = M. M. Alam, Little Dragon
			\| allegiance = {{PAK}}
			\| serviceyears = 1953 – 1982
			\| branch = {{Air force\|Pakistan}}
			\| rank = ] ]
			\| commands =
			\| servicenumber = Pak/1492
			\| unit = ] (1965)<<br />]
			\| battles = ]<br />]<br />]
			\| awards = ] {{small\|]}}<br />] {{small\|]}}
			\| laterwork =
	}}		}}
	]
	'''Muhammad Mahmood Alam''' ({{lang-bn\|মুহাম্মদ মাহমুদ আলম}}, ]: '''محمد محمود عالم''') or shortly '''M. M. Alam''' is a war hero and retired ] of ]. He is a recipient of the Pakistani ], the Sitara-e-Jurrat (''"The star of courage"'') and a bar to it for his actions during the ].

			'''Muhammad Mahmood Alam''' {{Small\|]<ref group="note" name="MW Note 3" /> ]}} ({{langx\|bn\|মহম্মদ মাহমুদ আলম}}; {{langx\|ur\|{{Nastaliq\|محمد محمود عالم}}}}; 6 July 1935 – 18 March 2013), popularly known as '''M. M. Alam''', was a Pakistani ] and ], officially credited by the ] with having downed five Indian fighter aircraft in under a minute and establishing a world record during the ].<ref name=Dawn>{{cite news\|url=https://dawn.com/2013/03/18/m-m-alam-passes-away-in-karachi/\|url-status=dead\|newspaper=Dawn newspaper\|title=M. M. Alam passes away in Karachi\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112033545/https://www.dawn.com/news/796217/m-m-alam-passes-away-in-karachi\|archive-date=12 November 2020\|date=18 March 2013\|access-date=16 May 2024}}</ref>
	He was born ], ] in ], ]. He is popularly known as "M.M. Alam" and nicknamed little dragon.

			He was a ] ] as per Pakistan Air Force records. He was awarded the ] twice, the nation's third highest military award for his actions.<ref name=Dawn/>

			==Early life==
	==Air-to-Air kills Indian version==
			Alam was born on 6 July 1935 to an ethnic ] ] family hailing from ], ], ]. Born and raised in ], Alam was a fluent ] speaker, it being his mother tongue. He was of mixed heritage: his maternal line was of ] origin and his paternal line was of ] origin, having migrated from ] and later settled in the Bengal province of ] for a long time.<ref name="Nation">{{cite news\|url=https://www.nation.com.pk/national/06-Sep-2013/knowing-mm-alam\|title=Knowing MM Alam\|work=The Nation newspaper\|access-date=16 May 2024\|date=6 September 2013\|author=Raja Ehsan Aziz\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015173543/https://www.nation.com.pk/06-Sep-2013/knowing-mm-alam\|archive-date=15 October 2023\|url-status=dead}}</ref> His family migrated from ] to ] (which later became ]) following the creation of Pakistan in 1947.<ref name="Nation"/>
	MM Alam aka little dragon is known for his actions during the ] when he was posted at ]. During this war he was involved in various ]s. He is officially credited with downing nine indian fighters six of them are hunters ] of the ] in ]s, 5 of them in less than a minute,<ref></ref><ref></ref><ref>{{cite book
	\| last = Singh
	\| first = Pushpindar
	\| authorlink = Pushpindar Singh
	\| title = Fiza ya, Psyche of the Pakistan Air Force
	\| publisher = Himalayan Books
	\| year = 1991
	\| isbn = 81-7002-038-7 }}</ref> as follows:
	* September 6, 1965, One ]: ] Ajit Kumar Rawlley, No 7 Squadron, ], near ].
	* September 7, 1965, Three Hawker Hunters (in one mission): Squadron Leader Onkar Nath Kacker, No 27 Sqn, ], Squadron Leader Suresh B Bhagwat and ] Jagdev Singh Brar, No 7 Squadron, KIA, near ].
	* September 16, 1965, One Hawker Hunter: Flying Officer Farokh Dara Bunsha, No 7 Squadron, KIA, near ].

			It was in ] where Alam completed his secondary education, graduating from the Government High School in ] in 1951. He joined the then Royal Pakistani Air Force (now ]) in 1952, being commissioned on 2 October 1953. Alam's brothers are ], an economist and a professor at ],<ref>Institute for Policy Research & Development, {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404101927/http://iprd.org.uk/?page_id=30 \|date=4 April 2019 }}; {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404101918/http://iprd.org.uk/?page_id=6291 \|date=4 April 2019 }}</ref> and ], who was a particle physicist at ].<ref>Department of Physics, .</ref>
	The Indian sources attribute Alam with only five of these kills, attributing one of the "kills" claimed by PAF, ] Onkar Nath Kacker's aircraft loss, to booster failure. However Indian sources claim, that if MM Alam had indeed shot down, 5 IAF Hunters in less than 30 Sec,why the Gun camera film of his fighter plane was not made public during or after the war was over & to date PAF has not shown the gun camera film. Similarly Pakistani authorities recovered the debris of only two aircraft's with the bodies of both the pilot, one a hindu & another sikh from the scene of action. The Indian source also claims that MM Alam never saw his missile hit Kacker's aircraft.

			His family moved to ] in 1971, after the ] in erstwhile ].<ref name="Nation"/> Being the eldest of his 11 siblings,<ref name=Dawn/> Alam did not marry as he had to assume the responsibilities of the upbringing of his family. Some of his younger brothers became distinguished in various academic careers.<ref name="Nation"/>
	Alam was the first commanding officer of the first squadron of Dassault ] fighters procured by the ]. However he was not very popular with the top management of the PAF and was shortly removed from command, on the excuse that he was not "literate enough"<ref name="avhist">''Pakistan's Sabre Ace'' by Jon Guttman, Aviation History, Sept 1998 - Also available at </ref>.
	During the ], all personnel who were of Bengali origins or were born in Bengal were grounded to prevent any defections. Thus, Alam was posted on a staff job and did not fly in combat. M.M. Alam retired in 1982 as an ] and currently resides in ]. One of the roads of ] in ] is named after him as ]. His brother ] is an ] and a professor at ], ]. His brother ] is a particle physicist at ] and is credited for discovering over a dozen particles.

			==Service with the Pakistan Air Force==
			=== Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 ===

			]
	'''Eye-witness to M.M. Alam's encounter with the IAF'''
	By Wing Commander (Retd.) M. Arif Iqbal (PAF)
	History has never been a particularly interesting subject for me, but on 7th September, 1965, I had the unique opportunity of seeing history being made. I shall not hesitate to accept that, ever since, my prejudices against history have weakened quite a bit.

			During the ], Alam was posted at ] with ].
	The tension of the post Rann-of-Kutch period had increased progressively culminating in the outbreak of the Indo-Pak War. The PAF was in a high state of alert. I was then at Sargodha - the focal point of interest for the Indian Air Force. It did not take a psychologist to analyse the state of mind of the PAF pilots. Calm and resolute, quite yet zealous, they were all too keen to their teach adversaries a lesson.

			According to the PAF and eyewitness accounts, in a single sortie on 7 September 1965, Alam downed five aircraft in less than a minute, it was claimed that he had downed 7 Hunters, but 2 of which were 'probable' kills.<ref>{{Cite web \|url=http://www.piads.com.pk/users/piads/maiqbal1.html \|title=Eye-witness to M.M. Alam's encounter with the IAF \|access-date=2024-05-16 \|website=PAKISTAN INSTITUTE FOR AIR DEFENCE STUDIES website\|url-status=dead \|last=Iqbal \|first=Arif \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030430051201/http://www.piads.com.pk/users/piads/maiqbal1.html \|archive-date=2003-04-30}}</ref><ref name="Fricker">{{cite book\|last=Fricker\|first=John\|title=Battle for Pakistan: the air war of 1965\|year=1979\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RPttAAAAMAAJ \|pages=15–17 \|publisher=I. Allan \|isbn=9780711009295}}</ref><ref name="Polmar">{{cite book\|last1=Polmar\|first1=Norman\|title=One hundred years of world military aircraft\|url=https://archive.org/details/unset0000unse_v6d0\|url-access=registration\|year=2003\|publisher=Naval Institute Press\|isbn=978-1-59114-686-5\|page=\|first2=Dana \|last2=Bell\|quote=Mohammed Mahmood Alam claimed five victories against Indian Air Force Hawker Hunters, four of them in less than one minute! Alam, who ended the conflict with 9 kills, became history's only jet "ace-in-a-day."}}</ref><ref name="Nordeen's Indo-Pak 1965 Conflict">{{cite book\|last=O' Nordeen\|first=Lon\|title=Air Warfare in the Missile Age\|url=https://archive.org/details/airwarfareinmiss00nord\|url-access=registration\|year=1985\|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press\|location=Washington, D.C.\|isbn=978-0-87474-680-8\|pages=}}</ref> Regarding his last four claims, Alam stated that while before he had completed "270 degrees of turn, at around 12 degrees per second ... four ]s had been shot down."<ref name="Fricker" /> With five claims on 7 September, Alam also effectively claimed to have achieved ] status, in world record time.
	Seated in the cockpit of an F-104 aircraft, I was awaiting my turn to the launched into the air. On a warning of an approaching low-level raid, some of my colleagues had already got airborne. For a short span of about half a minute we were anxious, but it was not long before we realised that the enemy had failed to deliver a proper attack and had caused no damage except to chip off a corner of a transistor-radio. They had to pay a rather heavy toll for the damage they had caused on the personal property of an officer - 4 out of the 6 raiding aircraft were shot down.

			Alam's claims have been contested by retired PAF ] ], of which the context, is a rivalry between Alam and Haider. The Indian Air Force, denied losing five Hawker Hunter aircraft on 7 September.<ref name="Nordeen's Indo-Pak 1965 Conflict"/><ref name=avhist>''Pakistan's Sabre Ace'' by Jon Guttman, Aviation History, Sept 1998.</ref> In a 2009 memoir, Haider wrote that it was "tactically and mathematically very difficult" to reconstruct the downing of "five Hunters in a hard ... 270-degree turn in 23 seconds."<ref>{{Cite book\|url=https://archive.org/details/Flight_of_the_Falcon_Sajad_S_Haider\|title=Flight of the Falcon- Demolishing Myths of Indo Pak Wars 1965-1971\|last=Haider\|first=Sajad S.\|publisher=Vanguard Books Pvt Ltd.\|year=2009\|isbn=9789694025261\|location=Lahore, Pakistan\|pages=\|quote=}}</ref> The fact that no verifiable ] footage of his kills was ever made public by the Pakistani authorities further casts doubt on his claim.<ref>{{Cite book\|last=Bowman\|first=Martin W.\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jliqCwAAQBAJ&q=gun%20camera%20footage%20of%20Alam%20kill&pg=PT196\|title=Cold War Jet Combat: Air-to-Air Jet Fighter Operations, 1950–1972\|date=2016-01-30\|publisher=Pen and Sword\|isbn=978-1-4738-7462-6\|language=en}}</ref>
	When a second in-coming raid was detected, four of my colleagues flying the F-80s and I in my F-104 were ordered to the air. In minutes we were airborne and were waiting to "great-our friends." Squadron Leader M. M. Alam with his wingman was orbiting south-east of the airfield; the other pair of F-86s led by Flight Lieutenant Bhatti was further east of Squadron Leader M. M. Alam's section and I was circling the airfield at a height of about 15,000 feet. While heading north, I spotted four enemy aircraft exiting in a south-easterly direction. I called out on the radio that I had visual contact with them and started turning in the direction of the enemy's exist. By the time I had come behind the enemy aircraft, I saw that four F-86s - two of Alam's formation and two of Bhatti's - were already chasing the Indian Hunter aircraft.

			The action of 7 September 1965 resulted in Alam being placed at the top of a 'Hall of Fame' list at the ] in Karachi.
	The Hunter is a faster aircraft than the Sabre: In order to close in to a firing range the Sabres had to jettison their external fuel tanks and dive down from height. Bhatti tried to get rid of his external tanks but unfortunately one of his tanks failed to jettison. It was now practically impossible for him to close the gap between himself and his prey. So, he wisely decided to let the other pair of F-86s, led by Alam, tackle the Indian aircraft. Alam and his wingman started gradually to close in on the enemy. Thought I, in the F-104, would have had no problem getting into the firing range, I thought it appropriate and fair to let Alam try his hand first. I decided to keep the Hunters in sight and trail Alam, firstly to allow him more manoeuvring area and, secondly, to be ready for any one of them who might decide to run away faster. In the heart of my heart, I feared that Alam, with his complete mastery of the F-86 and his determination to punish each one of the Indians for the liberty they had taken, would give me no opportunity. In a short while I realised that my fears were turning into facts.

			=== Later years ===
	Like me, Alam had also spotted only four Hunters. He decided to engage the one on the extreme right first. It was then that he spotted a fifth Hunter further to the right. He changed his mind and switched his attack to this new find. Barely a couple of seconds must have lapsed before Alam six guns were spitting fire and fury at this Hunter and I saw a ball of fire hit the ground. Alam pulled his guns on to the next Hunter. A few seconds later, another ball of fire hit the ground. Then the Indians tried a half-hearted defensive manoeuvre. Alam was almost overshooting an enemy aircraft but by then he had destroyed it - a third ball of fire and the pilot of this Hunter managed to eject from his aircraft before it crashed. Alam was once again in a better position to tackle the two remaining Hunters. It was only a matter of moments before these two also turned into balls of fire and crashed into the ground. I felt a pang of disappointment - Alam had been unfair to me. He had himself tackled them all, giving me no chance to bear my guns on to any one of them. The Indians disappointed me too. Had they just decided to run away from Alam, I would have possibly had a chance.
			In 1967, he was appointed Squadron Commander of the first squadron of ] fighters procured by the PAF. In 1982, he retired as an ] and took up residence in ]. He was a good practicing Muslim in his later years. Occasionally, he would accept offers to speak at different Pakistani universities. He had a large collection of books and used to read many newspapers to stay informed. According to a major Pakistani newspaper, "Alam was a highly self-respecting man who led a life of utmost dignity and self-esteem. He was very candid and informal with trusted friends".<ref name=Dawn/><ref name="Nation"/>

			==Death==
	I checked my distance from Sargodha; it was 37 miles. This was the first time that a fighter pilot had attacked and destroyed five enemy fighters at almost tree-top level in a short span of a minute or so. A new chapter was added not only to the history of the PAF, but also to that of military aviation.
			Alam was admitted to Pakistan Naval Station ] in Karachi where he died on 18 March 2013, aged 77.<ref name=Dawn/><ref name="Nation"/> He was being treated for respiratory problems for 18 months. Alam's funeral prayer was performed at the ], where he served some of the significant years of his career. Alam was buried at the Shuhuda (Martyrs) Graveyard, located at PAF Masroor Airbase. ], Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad, ], Sindh corps commander Lt. Gen Ijaz Chaudhry, Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) Director-General ], Base Commander PAF Base Masroor Air Commodore Usaid ur Rehman, many war veterans of the 1965 war and Alam's closest colleagues attended the funeral. One of the younger brothers of the deceased, Zubair Alam, was also present.

			==Memorials==
	It was a great privilege to have been a witness to this encounter. The bit "Fox Hunt" started by the Indian Hunters had ended up in the "Fox" killing all the hounds but one. This one hound, I do not know how, managed to detach himself from the rest of the 'hounds' and ran back with his tail between his legs. I believe that on his return he was awarded a "Veer Chakra" for his demonstration of great courage and valour in the face of the enemy!
			], a major road in ], ], ] is named in honour of the ] of ], Air Commodore Muhammad Mahmood Alam, running from Main Market to ]. The road runs parallel to famous Main Boulevard thus providing an alternate route and is a commercial hub with many restaurants, fashion boutiques, shopping malls, beauty saloons and décor stores. M.M. Alam Road hosts a variety of flamboyant restaurants in modern Lahore.<ref>{{cite news\|last=Haq \|first=Shahram \|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/88625/urban-planning-M.M-Alam-road-to-be-heart-of-new-business-district/ \|title=Urban planning: MM Alam Road to be heart of new business district\|newspaper= The Express Tribune newspaper\|date=11 December 2010 \|url-status=dead \|access-date=16 May 2024\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225080423/http://tribune.com.pk/story/88625/urban-planning-M.M-Alam-road-to-be-heart-of-new-business-district/\|archive-date=25 December 2016}}</ref>

			On 20 March 2014, on account of his first death anniversary, the PAF Airbase Mianwali was renamed after him as ].<ref name="Dawn: Renaming">{{cite news\|title=Pakistan not sending troops to Bahrain or Saudi: PM\|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1094412/pakistan-not-sending-troops-to-bahrain-or-saudi-pm\|access-date=16 May 2024\|newspaper=Dawn newspaper\|date=20 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/685226/paf-honours-ace-pilot-mm-alam-renames-mianwali-air-base-after-him/ \|title=PAF honours ace pilot MM Alam, renames Mianwali air base after him\|newspaper=The Express Tribune newspaper \|url-status=dead \|date=20 March 2014 \|access-date=16 May 2024\|archive-date=4 May 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230504011027/https://tribune.com.pk/story/685226/paf-honours-ace-pilot-mm-alam-renames-mianwali-air-base-after-him/}}</ref>
	==Citation==

			== Awards and decorations ==
	<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: ] -->.
			{\| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
	{{cquote\|''"On 6th September, 1965, during an aerial combat over enemy territory, Squadron Leader Mohammad Mahmood Alam flying as pilot of an F-86 Sabre Jet, shot down two enemy Hunter aircraft and damaged three others. For the exceptional flying skill and valor displayed by Squadron Leader Mohammad Mahmood Alam in operations, he was awarded Sitara-i-Juraat. On 7th September, 1965, in a number of interception missions flown by Squadron Leader Mohammad Mahmood Alam against enemy aircraft attacking Pakistan Air Force Station, Sargodha, Squadron Leader Alam destroyed five more enemy Hunter aircraft in less than a minute, which remains a record until today. Overall, he had nine kills and two damages to his credit. For the exceptional flying skill and valour shown by him in pressing home his attacks in aerial combats with the enemy, Squadron Leader Mohammad Mahmood Alam is awarded a bar to his Sitara-i-Juraat."'' <ref>, PakDef.info</ref>\|}}
			\|
			\|{{Ribbon devices\|number=0\|type=award-star\|ribbon=Sitara-e-Jurat.png\|width=130}}
			\|{{Ribbon devices\|number=0\|type=award-star\|ribbon=Sitara-e-Imtiaz.png\|width=130}}
			\|
			\|-
			\|{{Ribbon devices\|number=0\|type=award-star\|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Diffa.png\|width=130}}
			\|{{Ribbon devices\|number=0\|type=award-star\|ribbon=Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War Ribbon.png\|width=130}}
			\|{{Ribbon devices\|number=0\|type=award-star\|ribbon=Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War.png\|width=130}}
			\|{{Ribbon devices\|number=0\|type=award-star\|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War.png\|width=130}}
			\|-
			\|{{Ribbon devices\|number=0\|type=award-star\|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War.png\|width=130}}
			\|{{Ribbon devices\|number=0\|type=award-star\|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam.png\|width=130}}
			\|{{Ribbon devices\|number=0\|type=award-star\|ribbon=Republic Medal 1956 (Pakistan).png\|width=130}}
			\|{{Ribbon devices\|number=0\|type=award-star\|ribbon=Hijri Tamgha.png\|width=130}}
			\|}
			{\| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
			\| colspan="2" \|''']<ref name="MW Note 3" group="note">"Bar" refers to a second award of the same honour</ref>'''
			''(Star of Courage)''

			'''1. ]'''
	==Official sources==
	* - ]
	* "Laying the Sargodha Ghost to rest." ''Vayu Aerospace Review''. November 1985

			'''2. ]'''
	==References==
			\| colspan="2" \|''']'''
	{{reflist}}
			''']'''

			''(Star of Excellence)''
			\|-
			\|''']'''
			''(General Service Medal)''

			'''1. ] Clasp'''

			'''2. ] Clasp'''
			\|''']'''
			''(War Star 1965)''
			\|''']'''
			''(War Star 1971)''
			\|''']'''
			''(War Medal 1965)''
			\|-
			\|''']'''
			''(War Medal 1971)''
			\|''']'''
			''']'''

			''(100th Birth Anniversary of''

			''])''

			'''1976'''
			\|''']'''
			''(Republic Commemoration Medal)''

			'''1956'''
			\|''']'''
			''(Hijri Medal)''

			'''1979'''
			\|}

			==Commemorative postage stamp==
			On 20 March 2014, ] issued a commemorative postage stamp to honor him and his services to Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.tareekhepakistan.com/detail?title_id=2139&dtd_id=2021\|title=Commemorative postage stamp issued for M. M. Alam\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304085740/http://www.tareekhepakistan.com/detail?title_id=2139&dtd_id=2021\|archive-date=4 March 2021\|website=Tareekh-e-Pakistan website\|url-status=dead\|access-date=15 May 2024}}</ref>

	==See also==		==See also==
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
			* ]

	==~~External links~~==		==Notes==
			{{reflist\|group=note}}
	* , ''YesPakistan.com''
	* , ''at Pakdef.info''

			==References==
			{{Reflist\|Book Air Commodore MM ALAM By Zahid Yaqub Aamir 30em}}

			==Further reading==
			* – ]
			* "Laying the Sargodha Ghost to rest." ''Vayu Aerospace Review''. November 1985

			{{Recipients of Sitara-e-Jurat}}
	{{Military of Pakistan}}		{{Military of Pakistan}}
			{{Authority control}}

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Alam, Muhammad}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Alam, Muhammad}}
			]

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	]		]
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Latest revision as of 06:34, 7 January 2025

Pakistani fighter pilot (1935–2013 )

Air Commodore M.M. Alam Sitara-e-Jurat & Bar [note 1] SJ & Bar [note 1] SI(M)
Muhammad Mahmood Alam in 2010
Nickname(s)	M. M. Alam, Little Dragon
Born	(1935-07-06)6 July 1935 Calcutta, Bengal, British India (present-day, Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
Died	18 March 2013(2013-03-18) (aged 77) Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Allegiance	Pakistan
Service / branch	Pakistan Air Force
Years of service	1953 – 1982
Rank	Air commodore
Service number	Pak/1492
Unit	No. 11 Squadron Arrows (1965)< No. 5 Squadron Falcons
Battles / wars	Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Soviet–Afghan War
Awards	Sitara-e-Jurat & Bar [note 1] Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military)

Muhammad Mahmood Alam SJ & Bar SI(M) (Bengali: মহম্মদ মাহমুদ আলম; Urdu: محمد محمود عالم; 6 July 1935 – 18 March 2013), popularly known as M. M. Alam, was a Pakistani fighter pilot and war hero, officially credited by the Pakistan Air Force with having downed five Indian fighter aircraft in under a minute and establishing a world record during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War.

He was a F-86 Sabre flying ace as per Pakistan Air Force records. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat twice, the nation's third highest military award for his actions.

Early life

Alam was born on 6 July 1935 to an ethnic Muhajir Muslim family hailing from Calcutta, Bengal, British India. Born and raised in Bengal, Alam was a fluent Bengali speaker, it being his mother tongue. He was of mixed heritage: his maternal line was of Bengali origin and his paternal line was of Bihari origin, having migrated from Patna and later settled in the Bengal province of British India for a long time. His family migrated from Calcutta to East Bengal (which later became East Pakistan) following the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

It was in East Pakistan where Alam completed his secondary education, graduating from the Government High School in Dhaka in 1951. He joined the then Royal Pakistani Air Force (now Pakistan Air Force) in 1952, being commissioned on 2 October 1953. Alam's brothers are M. Shahid Alam, an economist and a professor at Northeastern University, and M. Sajjad Alam, who was a particle physicist at SUNY Albany.

His family moved to West Pakistan in 1971, after the Bangladesh Liberation War in erstwhile East Pakistan. Being the eldest of his 11 siblings, Alam did not marry as he had to assume the responsibilities of the upbringing of his family. Some of his younger brothers became distinguished in various academic careers.

Service with the Pakistan Air Force

Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Alam was posted at Sargodha with No. 11 Squadron PAF.

According to the PAF and eyewitness accounts, in a single sortie on 7 September 1965, Alam downed five aircraft in less than a minute, it was claimed that he had downed 7 Hunters, but 2 of which were 'probable' kills. Regarding his last four claims, Alam stated that while before he had completed "270 degrees of turn, at around 12 degrees per second ... four Hunters had been shot down." With five claims on 7 September, Alam also effectively claimed to have achieved "ace in a day" status, in world record time.

Alam's claims have been contested by retired PAF Air Commodore Sajad Haider, of which the context, is a rivalry between Alam and Haider. The Indian Air Force, denied losing five Hawker Hunter aircraft on 7 September. In a 2009 memoir, Haider wrote that it was "tactically and mathematically very difficult" to reconstruct the downing of "five Hunters in a hard ... 270-degree turn in 23 seconds." The fact that no verifiable gun camera footage of his kills was ever made public by the Pakistani authorities further casts doubt on his claim.

The action of 7 September 1965 resulted in Alam being placed at the top of a 'Hall of Fame' list at the Pakistan Air Force Museum in Karachi.

Later years

In 1967, he was appointed Squadron Commander of the first squadron of Dassault Mirage III fighters procured by the PAF. In 1982, he retired as an Air commodore and took up residence in Karachi. He was a good practicing Muslim in his later years. Occasionally, he would accept offers to speak at different Pakistani universities. He had a large collection of books and used to read many newspapers to stay informed. According to a major Pakistani newspaper, "Alam was a highly self-respecting man who led a life of utmost dignity and self-esteem. He was very candid and informal with trusted friends".

Death

Alam was admitted to Pakistan Naval Station PNS Shifa Hospital in Karachi where he died on 18 March 2013, aged 77. He was being treated for respiratory problems for 18 months. Alam's funeral prayer was performed at the PAF Base Masroor, where he served some of the significant years of his career. Alam was buried at the Shuhuda (Martyrs) Graveyard, located at PAF Masroor Airbase. Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad, Air Chief Marshal Farooq Feroze Khan, Sindh corps commander Lt. Gen Ijaz Chaudhry, Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) Director-General Maj. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar, Base Commander PAF Base Masroor Air Commodore Usaid ur Rehman, many war veterans of the 1965 war and Alam's closest colleagues attended the funeral. One of the younger brothers of the deceased, Zubair Alam, was also present.

Memorials

M. M. Alam Road, a major road in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan is named in honour of the flying ace of Pakistan Air Force, Air Commodore Muhammad Mahmood Alam, running from Main Market to Gulberg. The road runs parallel to famous Main Boulevard thus providing an alternate route and is a commercial hub with many restaurants, fashion boutiques, shopping malls, beauty saloons and décor stores. M.M. Alam Road hosts a variety of flamboyant restaurants in modern Lahore.

On 20 March 2014, on account of his first death anniversary, the PAF Airbase Mianwali was renamed after him as PAF Base M.M. Alam.

Awards and decorations

Sitara-e-Jurat & Bar

(Star of Courage)

1. 1965 War

2. 1971 War

Sitara-e-Imtiaz

(Military)

(Star of Excellence)

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-

Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam

(100th Birth Anniversary of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah)

1976

Tamgha-e-Jamhuria

(Republic Commemoration Medal)

1956

Hijri Tamgha

(Hijri Medal)

1979

Commemorative postage stamp

On 20 March 2014, Pakistan Post issued a commemorative postage stamp to honor him and his services to Pakistan.

Notes

^ "Bar" refers to a second award of the same honour

References

^ "M. M. Alam passes away in Karachi". Dawn newspaper. 18 March 2013. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
^ Raja Ehsan Aziz (6 September 2013). "Knowing MM Alam". The Nation newspaper. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
Institute for Policy Research & Development, Advisory Board Archived 4 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine; Dr. M. Shahid Alam Archived 4 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine
Department of Physics, M. Sajjad Alam.
Iqbal, Arif. "Eye-witness to M.M. Alam's encounter with the IAF". PAKISTAN INSTITUTE FOR AIR DEFENCE STUDIES website. Archived from the original on 30 April 2003. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
^ Fricker, John (1979). Battle for Pakistan: the air war of 1965. I. Allan. pp. 15–17. ISBN 9780711009295.
Polmar, Norman; Bell, Dana (2003). One hundred years of world military aircraft. Naval Institute Press. p. 354. ISBN 978-1-59114-686-5. Mohammed Mahmood Alam claimed five victories against Indian Air Force Hawker Hunters, four of them in less than one minute! Alam, who ended the conflict with 9 kills, became history's only jet "ace-in-a-day."
^ O' Nordeen, Lon (1985). Air Warfare in the Missile Age. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. pp. 84–87. ISBN 978-0-87474-680-8.
Pakistan's Sabre Ace by Jon Guttman, Aviation History, Sept 1998.
Haider, Sajad S. (2009). Flight of the Falcon- Demolishing Myths of Indo Pak Wars 1965-1971. Lahore, Pakistan: Vanguard Books Pvt Ltd. pp. 69. ISBN 9789694025261.
Bowman, Martin W. (30 January 2016). Cold War Jet Combat: Air-to-Air Jet Fighter Operations, 1950–1972. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-4738-7462-6.
Haq, Shahram (11 December 2010). "Urban planning: MM Alam Road to be heart of new business district". The Express Tribune newspaper. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
"Pakistan not sending troops to Bahrain or Saudi: PM". Dawn newspaper. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
"PAF honours ace pilot MM Alam, renames Mianwali air base after him". The Express Tribune newspaper. 20 March 2014. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
"Commemorative postage stamp issued for M. M. Alam". Tareekh-e-Pakistan website. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2024.