Air Marshal PM Ramachandran no more

Former Vice Chief of Air Staff,Air Marshal PM Ramachandran, died here on Thursday followinga brief illness.

He is survived by his son, daughter-in-law and twograndsons.

Ramachandran (86) will be cremated with full militaryhonours on Friday, according to a release here.

He was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the IndianAir Force in 1955 and participated in the Liberation of Goasix years later where he destroyed a Portugese patrol boatand was awarded the gallantry award Shaurya Chakra.

He held various command and staff appointments in hisabout four-decade old career and as Vice Chief, was”responsible for the operational deployment of Indias shortrange ballistic missile, Prithvi,” the release said.

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