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|---|---|
| Allegiance | Pakistan |
| Service | Pakistan Air Force |
| Rank | Air Commodore |
| Battles / wars | Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 |
| Awards | Sitara-e-Jurat and Bar |
Muhammad Mahmood Alam (Template:Lang-bn, Urdu: محمد محمود عالم) or shortly M. M. Alam is a war hero and retired Air Commodore of Pakistan Air Force. He is a recipient of the Pakistani military decoration, the Sitara-e-Jurrat ("The star of courage") and a bar to it for his actions during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
He was born July 6, 1935 in Calcutta, British India. He is popularly known as "M.M. Alam" and nicknamed little dragon.
Air-to-Air kills Indian version
MM Alam aka little dragon is known for his actions during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 when he was posted at Sargodha. During this war he was involved in various dogfights. He is officially credited with downing nine indian fighters six of them are hunters Hunters of the Indian Air Force in air-to-air combats, 5 of them in less than a minute, as follows:
- September 6, 1965, One Hawker Hunter: Squadron Leader Ajit Kumar Rawlley, No 7 Squadron, Killed in action, near Tarn Taran.
- September 7, 1965, Three Hawker Hunters (in one mission): Squadron Leader Onkar Nath Kacker, No 27 Sqn, POW, Squadron Leader Suresh B Bhagwat and Flying Officer Jagdev Singh Brar, No 7 Squadron, KIA, near Sangla Hill.
- September 16, 1965, One Hawker Hunter: Flying Officer Farokh Dara Bunsha, No 7 Squadron, KIA, near Amritsar.
The Indian sources attribute Alam with only five of these kills, attributing one of the "kills" claimed by PAF, Sqn Ldr 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.
Alam was the first commanding officer of the first squadron of Dassault Mirage III fighters procured by the PAF. 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". During the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, 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 Air Commodore and currently resides in Karachi. One of the roads of Gulberg in Lahore is named after him as M. M. Alam road. His brother M. Shahid Alam is an Economist and a professor at Northeastern University, Boston. His brother M. Sajjad Alam is a particle physicist at SUNY Albany and is credited for discovering over a dozen particles.
Citation
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"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."
Official sources
- History of PAF - Government of Pakistan
- "Laying the Sargodha Ghost to rest." Vayu Aerospace Review. November 1985
References
- Alam’s Speed-shooting Classic
- Pakistan Air Force official website
- Singh, Pushpindar (1991). Fiza ya, Psyche of the Pakistan Air Force. Himalayan Books. ISBN 81-7002-038-7.
- Pakistan's Sabre Ace by Jon Guttman, Aviation History, Sept 1998 - Also available at
- Citation of PAF Heros, PakDef.info
See also
External links
- Muhammad Mahmood Alam, YesPakistan.com
- Citation of PAF Heros, at Pakdef.info
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