Sqn Ldr Mohinder Kumar Jain VrC

Squadron Leader Mohinder Kumar Jain was born on 27 December 1937 in Jalandhar district of Punjab. Son of Shri Kapur Chand Jain, Sqn Ldr Jain was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on 23rd March 1957 at the age of 20 years. He joined the flying stream of the IAF and got trained as a fighter pilot as part of 71st Pilots' course. 

After his initial training was posted to various Air Force bases and gained experience in flying different types of aircraft. He got promoted to the rank of Flt Lt on 23 Mar 1962. By 1971, Sqn Ldr Jain had already completed around 14 years of service in the Air Force and  evolved into a competent and ace pilot having expertise in various types of air operations. During 1971, he was serving with  27 Sqn  operating fighter bomber Hunter aircraft.

Offensive Air Operations (Indo-Pak War) : 04 - 10 Dec 1971

During 1971, Sqn Ldr Mohinder Kumar Jain was serving with 27 Sqn, known as "Flaming Arrows". The Squadron was formed at Adampur on 15 Feb 1957 with the de Havilland Vampires, but was later armed with the Hawker Hunter MK56 aircrafts. The squadron took part in "Operation Vijay" for the liberation of Goa in 1960 and also took part in the 1965 war with Pakistan. After the war, the Hunter MK 56A replaced the Hunter MK56 in the Squadron. In 1971, the 27 Squadron operating from Halwara changed it’s role to deep penetration strike and was shifted from Halwara to Pathankot. As war broke out with Pakistan on the 3rd of December, 1971, the Squadron with Wing Commander Mian Naranjan Singh as its commanding officer was tasked for various offensive air missions. Sqn Ldr Mohinder Kumar Jain was detailed to carry out one such strike mission on 04 Dec 1971.

On 4th Dec 1971, Sqn Ldr Jain carried out two strike missions over Mianwali airfield and attacked enemy aircraft parked on the ground. As he turned homeward after the attack, he was attacked by enemy aircraft, but he held his nerve and faced them squarely. Eventually he successfully disengaged himself from the enemy attack and brought his aircraft safely back to base. On the 5th, 7th and 9th Dec 1971, he carried out further successful missions to Poonch, Sambha and Dinanagar Sectors in support of our ground forces. On the 10th Dec 1971 Sqn Ldr Jain was detailed as leader of a two aircraft strike mission, to the Chhamb Sector for providing close air support to the Army operation in that sector. Despite heavy and concentrated ground fire he in his Hunter (A-938) made accurate bomb and cannon attacks on the enemy positions.

The enemy positions were heavily defended by anti aircraft batteries and posed serous threat, but undeterred, Sqn Ldr Jain flew dangerously close to achieve maximum accuracy. However while doing so his aircraft was hit and crashed in the enemy territory. He is presumed to have been taken over as a POW (Prisoner of War). However, successive regimes in Pakistan have denied the existence of Indian POWs in its jails. Presently, Sqn Ldr MK Jain's name features on the official list of the ’54 Personnel Missing in Action’, tabled in the Lok Sabha in 1979 by the then Minister of State of External Affairs Shri Samarendra Kundu.  

Sqn Ldr Mohinder Kumar Jain was given the gallantry award, “Vir Chakra” on 26 Jan 1972 for his outstanding bravery, devotion to duty and supreme sacrifice. Squadron Leader Mohinder Kumar Jain is survived by his wife Smt Kamlesh Jain and three daughters.

Citation for the Vir Chakra awarded to him reads:-

During the operations against Pakistan in December, 1971, Squadron Leader Mohinder Kumar Jain was serving with a Fighter Bomber Squadron in the Western Sector. On the 4th December, 1971, he carried out two strike missions over Mianwali airfield and attacked enemy aircraft parked on the ground. As he turned homeward after the attack, he was attacked by enemy Sabre and Mirage aircraft. He successfully disengaged himself from the enemy attack and brought his aircraft safely back to base. On the 5th, 7th and 9th December, 1971, he carried out further successful missions to Poonch, Sambha and Dinanagar Sectors in support of our ground forces. On the 10th December 1971 he was detailed as leader of a two aircraft strike mission, to the Chhamb Sector. Despite heavy and concentrated ground fire he made accurate bomb and cannon attacks on the enemy positions. During this action his aircraft was hit and crashed in enemy territory.

Throughout these operations, Squadron Leader Mohinder Kumar Jain displayed gallantry, professional skill and devotion to duty of a high order.