Muhammad Mehmood Alam

Muhammad Mehmood Alam was a Pakistani fighter pilot and war hero, officially credited by the Pakistan Air Force with having downed five Indian fighter aircraft in under a minute and establishing a world record during the 1965 Indo-Pak War. He was a F-86 Sabre flying ace as per Pakistan Air Force records. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat twice, the nation's third highest military award for his actions. He was also known as M. M. Alam or Little Dragon. He was born on 6 July 1935 to an ethnic Muhajir Muslim family hailing from Calcutta, Bengal, British India. His family migrated from Calcutta to East Bengal (which later became East Pakistan) following the creation of Pakistan in 1947. He completed his secondary education in Dhaka and joined the Pakistan Air Force in 1952. He was commissioned on 2 October 1953 and received his initial training at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, United Kingdom. He participated in military operations during the 1953 Lahore riots, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, and the Soviet-Afghan War. He held various command and staff positions in the air force, such as the Chief of General Staff, the Commander of V Corps in Karachi, the Commandant of Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, the General Officer Commanding of 7th Infantry Division in Peshawar, and the Chief of Staff of II Corps in Mangla. He was also the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee from 1984 to 1987. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Alam was posted at Sargodha with No. 11 Squadron PAF. On 7 September 1965, he downed five Indian aircraft in less than a minute, four of which were in the first 30 seconds, creating a world record. He also claimed two more kills, but they were not confirmed. He flew a total of six combat missions during the war and was credited with nine kills and two probables. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat and a bar to it for his actions. He retired from the air force in 1987 and settled in Karachi. He was involved in various social and charitable activities. He died on 18 March 2013, at the age of 77, due to a lung infection. He was buried with full military honors in the Army Graveyard in Karachi. He is regarded as a national hero and a legend in Pakistan.