Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha

Flight Lieutenant Maheesh Trikha hailed from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, and was born on 2nd January 1975 into a family with a proud military tradition. Son of Colonel Jagat Raj Trikha, an officer in the Indian Army, and Smt Swadesh Trikha, he was born at the Military Hospital in Dehradun while his father was serving at the 11 Gorkha Rifles Regimental Centre (GRRC) in Ghangora, Dehradun. Growing up in a disciplined and patriotic environment, young Maheesh was deeply inspired by his father's dedication to the service of the nation.  Maheesh, an intelligent and curious child, spent his early years growing up in an Army environment, which deeply influenced his personality and aspirations. He did his early schooling at Holy Cross School in Dimapur, Nagaland, where he consistently demonstrated academic excellence and discipline. With a keen interest in joining the Armed Forces, he appeared for the UPSC RIMC (Rashtriya Indian Military College) Entrance Examination and secured 1st rank at the All-India level for the July 1986 batch. RIMC, known for grooming future leaders of the Indian Armed Forces, played a crucial role in shaping his character and instilling in him the values of discipline, leadership, and service. After six formative years at RIMC, he graduated on 31st May 1992 and soon secured a place at the National Defence Academy (NDA), joining the 88th NDA course and becoming a part of the Hunter Squadron.

After successfully completing his rigorous training, he passed out from NDA in June 1995 and was commissioned from the Air Force Academy on 29 June 1996 at the age of 21. He underwent training as part of the 157th Pilots' Course, where he specialized as a helicopter pilot. With his professional excellence and dedication, he quickly earned the respect of his peers and superiors alike. His first operational posting was to the 141 Helicopter Unit (SSS) stationed at Air Force Station Jamnagar in Gujarat. Here, he honed his flying skills and gained valuable field experience in diverse flying environments. In early 2001, he was transferred to the 114 Helicopter Unit of the Indian Air Force, which operated Cheetah helicopters and was deployed along the western border. This unit played a vital role in tactical operations, logistical support, and high-altitude missions, often under challenging conditions.

Siachen Operation: 16 Aug 2002

In August 2002, Flight Lieutenant Maheesh Trikha was serving with the 114 Helicopter Unit (HU) of the Indian Air Force, famously known as the “Siachen Pioneers.” The 114 HU has a storied legacy of operating in the harshest terrains of the country, especially in support of Indian Army operations in the Siachen Glacier under Operation Meghdoot. The unit was originally raised on 1st April 1964 at Leh with 10 Allouette helicopters under the command of Squadron Leader Arvind Dalaya. Over the years, the unit underwent several relocations—moving to Jammu, then operating a detachment in Srinagar until 1975, before returning to Jammu. Eventually, in 1987, the unit was re-established in Leh with a permanent detachment at Thoise, dedicated to providing critical air support and maintenance in the Siachen Glacier region.

By 2002, the 114 HU was actively engaged in high-altitude operations, flying the SA-315 Cheetah helicopters, which were best suited for the extreme conditions of the Siachen sector. At the time, the unit was commanded by Wing Commander Mayenk Tewari. Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha had become a vital part of the unit’s operational efforts, undertaking numerous sorties to deliver essential supplies and provide logistical support to forward posts. These missions were not only physically demanding but also involved immense risk due to enemy ground fire and volatile weather conditions. On 16 August 2002, Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha was assigned a critical air maintenance mission along with his captain, Squadron Leader Sanjay Bharadwaj. The task involved delivering supplies to Indian Army positions located deep within the glacier region—areas that were not only difficult to access but also vulnerable to both hostile fire and mechanical stress due to high-altitude flying. The duo took off in their Cheetah helicopter, navigating the treacherous terrain toward their designated supply drop zone.

As the formation of helicopters (consisting of two helicopters) approached the designated area during the high-risk air support mission over the treacherous terrain of the Siachen Glacier, one of the helicopters—carrying Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha and Sqn Ldr Sanjay Bharadwaj—suffered a critical technical malfunction. The malfunction rendered the aircraft uncontrollable despite the crew’s best efforts to stabilize the situation under extremely hostile and icy weather conditions. Unable to regain control, the helicopter tragically crashed in the harsh, unforgiving landscape of the glacier. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the pilots of the accompanying helicopter undertook a daring maneuver, landing their aircraft near the crash site under precarious conditions—a feat that demanded exceptional skill and courage. They managed to evacuate the grievously injured officers and rushed them back to the base camp in a valiant attempt to save their lives. Unfortunately, despite the immediate medical attention and all-out efforts by the doctors to revive them, both Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha and Sqn Ldr Sanjay Bharadwaj succumbed to their injuries. Flt Lt Trikha was just 27 years old at the time and had already made a mark as a valiant air warrior known for his professional competence, dedication, and unwavering commitment to duty. His supreme sacrifice in the unforgiving terrain of the Siachen Glacier stands as a testament to the courage and resilience of the Indian Air Force personnel who continue to operate under the most adverse conditions to uphold the sovereignty of the nation.

Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha is survived by his father, Col Jagat Raj Trikha (Retd), mother Smt Swadesh Trikha, and elder brother Shir Puneesh Trikha. 

• The parents of Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha Col JR Trikha(Retd) and Smt Swadesh Trikha have established a foundation in his name called "Martyr Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha Foundation". The Foundation is registered as a Charitable Trust under Indian Trusts Act and came into being on 05th July  2006. 
• Martyr Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha Foundation assists in rehabilitation of the war widows and the families of the Martyrs, who have sacrificed their lives for the motherland. The Foundation also assists in providing higher education and appropriate vocational training for creating job opportunities for the war widows of the Armed forces and their children.

A tribute to Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha by Lt Col Manish Gosain from 7/11 GR (Serving in the unit during this period):

KHUKRI ON THE WINGS

1. In the summer of 2002, on a windy, cold but sunny morning at a helipad on the highest battlefield on the earth, the Siachen Glacier, there was great hubbub and some commotion. This commotion and clamor was not limited to the helipad itself but had spread to the onlookers as well. The onlookers, who were soldiers, had all gathered around and were amused to see an Indian Air Force helicopter take off and land repeatedly.
2. This particular helicopter would take off, climb up to a height, go around the nearby peaks in a circular motion and then land. Its rotors would not switch off, the particular set of passenger soldiers would get off and then a fresh set of soldiers would climb aboard and the whole going around circuit would be repeated.
3. Upon enquiring, it was revealed that the helicopter was being flown by Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Maheesh Trikha of the Indian Air Force (IAF) along with a co-pilot and he was giving joy rides to a particular set of soldiers belonging to the Gorkha Battalion deployed on the Northern Glacier and the IAF detachment was co-located at the base camp, providing air support. The unit was the Seventh battalion of the Eleven Gorkha Rifles, commonly referred to as the 7/11 GR.
4. Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha was doing this only for a small and selected group of soldiers. The eligibility criterion of this small group was that all of them were from the ‘C’ or the “Charlie Company” of the battalion. If you are wondering about the possible connection between a helicopter pilot of the IAF and the C Company of 7/11 GR, it was simple and straightforward, - Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha was a ‘fauji kid’ and had spent his childhood in the 7/11 Gorkha Rifles and especially in the ‘C’ Company where his father Col Jagat Raj Trikha had been the Company Commander.
5. Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha had carried this association, kinship or regimentation, as you may, in his heart for all these years and even after considerable passage of time, he remembered many of the JCOs and NCOs who had been young soldiers during his father’s time. It needs to be highlighted here that Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha did not do this ‘Joyride’ business for all and sundry. It was limited to the select few of the ‘C’ Company only and that too after the day’s sorties- for the ferry of rations and stores to the remote posts of the Siachen Glacier had been completed.
6. Life and routine continued and Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha like all other pilots would come to the detachment at the Base Camp of Siachen Glacier for some time, often a fortnight and then go back to his unit at Leh. The battalion, 7/11 GR continued to remain at the base camp as it had operational responsibility on the highest battlefield. The Pilots of IAF and the Army Aviation used to dine in the battalion mess and as the normal flying hours used to end around noon, there was plenty of time and opportunity for the Officers of the battalion to interact with these pilots. The battalion had a TT table and many afternoons and evenings were spent playing with the kerosene bukharis on full blast.
7. The camaraderie and bonhomie between both kinds of helicopter pilots wearing blue and green flying overalls had blossomed, developed and the working, social equations were friendly and amenable leading to a much better air cover for the battalion. There are many instances where the pilots went beyond the call of duty and safety to either evacuate / rescue a soldier or deliver essential stores even when the weather had packed up and no flying was permitted. It also needs to be highlighted here that owing to the vagaries of extreme weather and the glaciated terrain, all helicopters used to fly in pairs and no single helicopter flying was permitted.
8. Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha as part of IAF detachment was at the forefront of these flying efforts being undertaken. Owing to his connection with the battalion, he was always eager and willing to fly even to the farthest and thus the most difficult posts. He was ever smiling, cheerful and prone to laughter. Perhaps as part of the flying ethos of the IAF, he was more daring, open to challenges and always tried to push the envelope further. Whether conducting medical evacuations, delivering supplies in hostile, inhospitable terrain often beyond the capability or the ceiling limits of the helicopter or flying into obstacle ridden terrain to rescue those in peril, Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha approached every mission with calm precision, unshakable resolve and the determination to succeed.
9. He had joined the RIMC in 1986, finishing his schooling and joining the 88^th course at NDA in 1992, passing out from NDA in June 1995 and was commissioned from the Air Force Academy on 29 June 1996. By 2002, Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha had about 6 years of service in the Indian Air Force.
10. On the fateful day of 16 August 2002, it was a normal and routine day on the Siachen Glacier. All the Pilots, both of the IAF and the Army Aviation were doing routine sorties, ferrying essential rations and stores to the far flung posts. For the men on these posts, the helicopters were a veritable life line as they would bring fresh rations especially green vegetables, letters from home, magazines and even weapons and ammunition needed on the posts. Invariably, every morning, the men on these posts located at average heights of over 18000 feet would eagerly wait for the helicopters to arrive.
11. As already enumerated, the fateful day of 16 August 2002 was bright, sunny and there was absolutely clear weather. The helicopters were doing routine tasks and then again there was great hubbub and commotion. The clamor had started from the makeshift Air Traffic Controller radio room where in an SOS call from one of the IAF helicopters had been heard.
12. The commotion soon spread through the various radio networks and without any call, as if bidden by an unseen voice, all ranks present at the Base Camp gathered around the helipad. Soon an IAF helicopter was seen flying in from a side at speed, and plonk itself with a thud on the helipad. All the onlookers which included doctors and an ambulance rushed forward to provide succor.
13. It was seen that this single IAF helicopter was the one which survived. The other helicopter in the pair, being flown by Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha had developed an engine malfunction and crashed in the glaciated terrain. The surviving helicopter’s pilots had done the near impossible – they landed right next to the crashed helicopter, picked up the grievously injured pilots and flew back to the base camp but of no avail. Both these brave IAF pilots, including Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha were declared dead, after all efforts by the doctors to revive the comatose pilots failed.
14. After some time, the procedures for informing the Next of Kin and in this case, Col J R Trikha commenced and the transportation of mortal remains was undertaken. The unit, 7//11 GR provided the requisite administrative support with a heavy heart as Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha was one of its own and it was a unenviable task.
15. For the parents, it was a calamity beyond comprehension. Col Jagat Trikha being an old soldier could still bear the incredulous grief but for Mrs. Swadesh Trikha, the mother, the shock was nearly unbearable and filled with excruciating pain at the unfairness of it all.
16. Col Jagat Trikha and Mrs Swadesh Trikha, the parents of Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha, in their quest to recount the last days of their martyr son were always inquisitive and eager to meet Officers and men who had been in contact with Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha just prior to his martyrdom. Their quest brought them to Fort William, Kolkata, where 7/11 GR had recently arrived after their Siachen tenure. There the parents met and interacted with all the Officers and men of the Paltan who had been in contact with Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha.
17. Now after approximately 23 years later, for the Diamond Jubilee of 7/11 Gorkha Rifles, Col Jagat Trikha visited his unit again and was shown the life sized portrait of his martyr son, Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha adorning the wall of pride in the Quarter Guard. Understandably, Col J R Trikha was moved as he looked at it with tears swelling up in his eyes. He reminisced that Flt Lt Trikha would have been 50 years old this year. He further mused that many of his classmates and course mates have now become Brigadiers. If Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha had lived, he would have been a senior group captain in IAF.
18. The portrait of Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha is large sized and it depicts him in his IAF uniform with sunglasses on, looking very dapper, smart and youthful. But then, death has ensured that Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha would never be a Group Captain/Brigadier, he would never grow old, he would be forever young and dapper and smart and continue to remain so and live on the memories of his family, friends, classmates and course mates.
19. Mrs. Swadesh Trikha prefers to be called as “Shaheed Ki Maa”, ever since she gave her son “Flight Lieutenant Maheesh Trikha” in the service of our nation. The martyrdom of her son gave her the strength and purpose to form a trust called “Martyr Flight Lieutenant Maheesh Trikha Foundation (M-Trix Foundation) working towards the emancipation of the society with special reference to the girl - child. She takes pride in empowering and enabling marginalized girls and women from all walks of life.
20. “Martyr Flight Lieutenant Maheesh Trikha Foundation (M-Trix Foundation)” based at New Delhi has also been conducting of skill development courses for youth under the aegis of the government of India, across all states. These courses are aimed at skill development of the youth so as to facilitate their employment. The parents of Flt Lt Maheesh Trikha are now approaching old age and yet they strive and work hard to carry on the legacy of their valiant son.
21. Whenever they hear the hum of the rotor blades of any helicopter, they grow pensive and wonder that only a few can understand the burden of duty carried by our soldiers and their families. The lives of the soldiers marked by service, sacrifice and unyielding courage in the face of the enemy and for the families the unspoken grief and the unanswered quest of if…………

May the winds forever carry you, and may your spirit soar in eternal blue

Fair winds and following skies, Captain, You will not be forgotten.

Tributes By Maj.Gen Sunil Chandra, Retired as the ADG of Army Education Corps ,( AEC) of the Indian Army.

Though I had short & chance association with Flt.Lt.Maheesh Trikha at few occasions, may be four or five in Leh-Ladakh waiting to board Air Force plane to Delhi on short leave . Smartly dressed as flyer of Air Force his name plate flashing on his chest took me to him to say hello. The moment he noticed my presence in his vicinity, I got a smart salute from him that I returned as a brother officer in my Army uniform. We started talking to each other & I mentioned to him that many relations of mine have Trikha surname. He replied that I might know his father, Colonel Jagat Trikha & few others . It turned out that we are from close knit family. Our conversation went further to his School, the elite RIMC , Dehradun followed by his further training & grooming at National Defence Academy , Khadakwasla, Pune .

We spoke about his flying experience & areas in which he operated. He very fondly narrated his experience at Siachen and I could see glint of pride in his eyes when he explained the satisfaction he got in casually evacuation from very hostile & white out conditions of Siachen. Listening to him was totally mesmerising and he was so immersed in telling me the nuances of flying at high altitude & rarified atmosphere. Through out the flight he kept talking & I noticed lot of other passengers, mostly Army personnel were listening to him in rapt attention. On landing at Delhi , he was courteous enough to offer me lift in the car sent by his family. I recall accompanying him in his family car to his residence in Yousf Sarai, in South Delhi. Eventually, our relationship grew & we often conversed on phone . Every time he narrated his flying sorties & experience of flying in the thin air of Siachen. Whenever I got call from him, I realised that he is tailor made & cut out for flying.

Unexpectedly, I heard that while doing casualty evacuation his chopper crashed & he valiantly laid his life for the country in the inhospitable terrain of Siachen. To sum up- Maheesh was truly a breve heart who did not bother for the challenges facing him.

Jai Hind , my brother in Uniform.

Tribute by Brig.Pranav (Coursemate):

Maheesh was an extremely talented and dynamic coursemate of ours. Ever cheerful, endeared by all and always amongst friends. Maheesh was a spirited and skilled sportsman and prove his mettle on many a fields. By virtue of being from the same Battalion, we formed an easy affinity. Little did I know in those days that Maheesh was a 7/11 lad; as Battalion I will be commissioned to a few years down the line. It’s cruel fate that a life so spirited was cut short; but we are all proud of his act of supreme sacrifice guarding the Nation’s highest battlefield. It is little respite that his final hours were with the Battalion; the place he was born, is the place he now rests.

Tribute from Sqn Ldr Bhale Rao:

Deeply moved by your tribute at the war memorial in Ladakh. Laying that wreath in honour of Maheesh is a powerful reminder of his sacrifice and courage. His legacy lives on through every life he touched and in the hearts of those who remember him with pride.

Feel proud to have crossed paths with him and the family who raised such a wonderful human being!

Admire your powerful gesture despite the odds, to keep his legacy going!
May God Almighty continue to bless you all abundantly !