Air Vice Marshal

Suryakant Chintaman Chafekar

AVSM, SC
Born (1959-09-27) 27 September 1959
Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Allegiance India
ServiceIndia Air Force
Years of service1982–2017
RankAir Vice Marshal
Service number17013-L
Battles/warsOperation Pawan
Operation Cactus
AwardsAti Vishisht Seva Medal
Shaurya Chakra
Spouse(s)Abhilasha Suryakant Chafekar[1]
Other workAuthor, Defence Analyst

Air Vice Marshal Suryakant Chintaman Chafekar AVSM, SC is a retired Indian Air Force (IAF) officer who served as the Senior Air and Administration Staff Officer,[2] Maintenance Command, IAF, from 1 July 2016 until he retired on 30 September 2017. He was the commanding officer of No. 48 Squadron IAF. During his career he landed Antonov An-32 aircraft on High Altitude Advanced Landing Grounds (HAALG)s in Daulat Beg Oldi,[3][4] Fukche[5] and Nyoma.[6]

Early life and education

Suryakant Chintaman Chafekar was born on 27 September 1959 at Nagpur, Maharashtra, to Captain Chintaman Vishnu Chafekar and Vijaya Chintaman Chafekar.[7] Captain Chintaman Vishnu Chafekar was an officer in the Indian Territorial Army[8] and a social activist.[9] Vijaya Chintaman Chafekar was a school principal from Nagpur.

Suryakant Chintaman Chafekar is an alumnus of Dharampeth Science College, Nagpur; Air Force Academy, Dundigal; Flying Instructors School; Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Tamil Nadu;[10] and College of Air Warfare, Secunderabad.

Military career

An Indian Air Force Antonov An-32 taking off from the Daulat Beg Oldi ALG

Chafekar was commissioned as a pilot officer in the transport stream of the IAF on 29 December 1982. He has held several important command, staff and instructor appointments during his career. He was considered to be an expert in flying fixed wing aircraft in the Himalayan Region, and supervised humanitarian assistance and disaster relief tasks such as flood and earthquake relief operations.[11]

On 18 February 2002, during a trial landing at Kargil airfield near the Pakistan border his aircraft was fired upon by a Pakistani missile that hit one of the engines, setting the aircraft on fire.[12][13] He continued to fly the aircraft with only one operational engine, and landed it at IAF airfield at Leh.

During his tenure as the commanding officer of No. 48 Squadron IAF, on 31 May 2008,[14][15] Chafekar landed an Antonov An-32 aircraft at a HAALG at Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) (16,700 feet (5,100 m)) about 9 km (5.6 mi) from the Line of Actual Control with China.[16][17][18] He was awarded the Shaurya Chakra by the President of India for this mission.[7]

On 4 November 2008, while Chafekar was still serving with No. 48 Squadron, he landed an Antonov An-32 at the Fukche HAALG approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) from the Line of Actual Control with China. This airstrip sat at a height of 13,700 ft (4.2 km) and was last used during the 1962 Sino-Indian War.[19]

Around 15 months after the trial landings at DBO and Fukche, on 18 September 2009, Chafekar landed an Antonov An-32 at the Nyoma ALG, about 23 km (14 mi) from the Line of Actual Control with China.[20][21]

During his career Chafekar was also awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal[22] by the President of India for his service to the Indian Air Force, from which he retired on 30 September 2017.[23]

Notable appointments

Name of AppointmentRankInsigniaPeriod
Senior Air and Administration Staff Officer,[2] Maintenance Command, IAFAir Vice Marshal1 July 2016 to 30 September 2017
Assistant Chief of Integrated Defense Staff (Financial Planning),[24] Integrated Defence StaffAir Vice Marshal5 June 2015 to 30 June 2016
Principle Director Operations (Transports), Air Headquarters, IAFAir Commodore2 December 2013 to 31 May 2015
Principle Director Operations (Space),[25] Air Headquarters, IAFAir Commodore1 May 2013 to 1 December 2013
Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station Chandigarh,[26] IAFAir Commodore2 May 2011 to 30 April 2013
Principle Director Operations (Transports & Helicopters), Air Headquarters, IAFAir Commodore26 April 2010 to 1 May 2011
Director Operations (Transports), Air Headquarters, IAFGroup Captain18 November 2009 to 25 April 2010
Commanding Officer, No. 48 Squadron IAFGroup Captain1 January 2008 to 17 November 2009
Chief Operating Officer, Air Force Station Agra, IAFGroup Captain1 July 2005 to 31 December 2007
Commanding Officer, 2 Maharashtra Air Sqn NCC Nagpur, IAFWing Commander12 September 2002 to 30 June 2005

Honours and awards

AVM SC Chafekar presented with Ati Vishisht Seva Medal at Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2015

Dates of rank

InsigniaRankComponentDate of rank
Pilot OfficerIndian Air Force29 December 1982
Flying OfficerIndian Air Force29 December 1984
Flight LieutenantIndian Air Force29 December 1986
Squadron LeaderIndian Air Force29 December 1993
Wing CommanderIndian Air Force17 May 1999
Group CaptainIndian Air Force20 November 2006
Air CommodoreIndian Air Force10 May 2010
Air Vice-MarshalIndian Air Force1 September 2015

Post retirement

AVM SC Chafekar (retd.) delivering a speech at a Prahar military school seminar

He has published his autobiography in 2 languages- Nilaeechya Chatta[31] (Marathi, published September 2021), Shades of Blue[32] (English, published November 2021). These books have been published by Rajhans Prakashan, Pune, India. He has been awarded Lakshmi Bai Tilak Award for Best Autobiography (Marathi) for year 2021 by Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad, Pune, India. [33] [34] He has also been awarded Rashtriya Sant Tukdoji Maharaj Smruti Puraskar for Best Autobiography (Marathi) for year 2021-22 by Vidarbha Sahitya Sangha, Nagpur, India. [35]

He also works as a defence analyst[36] and publishes articles in many Indian newspapers including The Hitavada,[37] The Times of India,[38] and Loksatta.[39]


Military awards and decorations

Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Shaurya Chakra
Samanya Seva Medal Siachen Glacier Medal Special Service Medal Operation Parakram Medal
Operation Vijay Medal Sainya Seva Medal High Altitude Service Medal Videsh Seva Medal
50th Anniversary of Independence Medal 30 Years Long Service Medal 20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal

References

  1. ↑ "Air Chief at 12 Wing for presentation". The Times of India. Chadigarh. 15 March 2013.
  2. 1 2 "AVM SC Chafekar to assume charge of SAASO, Maintenance Command". Nagpur Today. Nagpur. 30 June 2016. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  3. ↑ "Flight of the camels". The Tribune. Chandigarh. 8 November 2009. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  4. ↑ "IAF Aircraft lands at the highest Airstrip in the world". Economic Times. Chandigarh. 31 May 2009. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  5. ↑ "IAF opens airstrip close to LAC". Deccan Herald. Chandigarh. 19 September 2009. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  6. ↑ "IAF opens new airstrip in Ladakh nearer to China border". Economic Times. Chandigarh. 18 September 2009.
  7. 1 2 "GROUP CAPTAIN SURYAKANT CHINTAMAN CHAFEKAR | Gallantry Awards". gallantryawards.gov.in. Archived from the original on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "Teach India: A captain's army of achievers". The Times of India. Nagpur. 14 January 2009.
  9. ↑ "He sacrificed his today for their tomorrow". The Times of India. Nagpur. 28 January 2012. Archived from the original on 29 January 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  10. ↑ "Air Cmde S C Chafekar to take over 12 Wing command tomorrow". The Indian Express. Chandigarh. 1 May 2011.
  11. ↑ "AVM SC Chafekar to assume charge of SAASO, IAF MC". Business Standard. Nagpur. 1 July 2016. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  12. ↑ "Controversy surrounding air force brass affects India's readiness against Pakistan". India Today. 1 April 2002.
  13. ↑ Chhina, Man Aman Singh (1 May 2011). "Surviving a missile and an Air Marshal".
  14. ↑ "IAF's 48 sq completes 50 glorious years". The Times of India. Chandigarh. 1 November 2009.
  15. ↑ "Chandigarh to have first of the upgraded AN-32s". Indian Express. Chandigarh. 31 October 2009.
  16. ↑ "Air Force Station rose above the rest". The Times of India. Chandigarh. 29 December 2008.
  17. ↑ "IAF Aircraft Lands at the Highest Airstrip Daredevils at DBO". Chandigarh. 15 June 2008.
  18. ↑ Bewoor, A G. "NO 48 SQUADRON THEY DID IT AGAIN AT DAULET BEG OLDI THEN WITH A PACKET, NOW WITH AN-32". Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  19. ↑ Dutta, Sujan (5 November 2008). "IAF lands on Ladakh strip". The Telegraph (Kolkata). Kolkata.
  20. ↑ "IAF opens new airstrip in Ladakh". The Hindu. Chandigarh. 18 September 2009.
  21. ↑ Joshi, Arun. "IAF touches base closer to China". Hindustan Times.
  22. ↑ "Press Information Bureau(PIB)". pib.gov.in.
  23. ↑ "AVM SC Chafekar to retire on 30th Sept 2017". Maharashtra Times. Nagpur. 28 September 2017.
  24. ↑ "Integrated Defence Staff, Indian Air Force – Database". Bharat Rakshak. Archived from the original on 12 May 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  25. ↑ "Air Head Quarters, Indian Air Force – Database". Bharat Rakshak.
  26. ↑ "Air Commodore Chafekar takes over 12 Wing command". Indian Express. Chandigarh. 3 May 2011. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  27. ↑ Union Government, Weekly, 2015-04-04, Part I-Section 1, Ref. 1GI/2015 by Government of India(4 April 2015)
  28. ↑ Gazette of India, 2009, No. 71 by Government of India (21 March 2009)
  29. ↑ "Vidarbha Sahitya Sangha Awards". Maharashtra Times. Nagpur. 22 December 2022.
  30. ↑ "Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad Awards". Maharashtra Times. Pune. 31 August 2022.
  31. ↑ Chafekar, Suryakant (September 2021). Nilaeechya Chatta. Pune: Rajhans Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-952301-3-6.
  32. ↑ Chafekar, Suryakant (November 2021). Shades of Blue. Pune: Rajhans Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-952301-3-6.
  33. ↑ "Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad Awards". Maharashtra Times. Pune. 31 August 2022.
  34. ↑ "Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad Awards". Pune. 30 August 2022.
  35. ↑ "Vidarbha Sahitya Sangha Awards". Maharashtra Times. Nagpur. 22 December 2022.
  36. ↑ "Surykant Chafekar And Shailendra Devlankar Reaction On Pakistan To Release IAF's Wing Commander Abhinandan". Zee 24 Taas (in Marathi). 1 March 2019. Zee5.
  37. ↑ "Balakot Airstrike, Abrogation of Article 370, What next..." The Hitavada. Nagpur. 1 September 2019.
  38. ↑ Chafekar, Suryakant Chintaman (3 March 2019). "Balakot Attack". Maharashtra Times. Nagpur.
  39. ↑ Chafekar, Suryakant Chintaman (28 February 2019). "Balakot Attack". Loksatta. Nagpur.
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