An Indian Air Force Jaguar fighter jet crashed in Gujarat's Kutch district soon after it took off from the Jamnagar air base on Tuesday, killing Air Commodore Sanjai Chauhan who was piloting the aircraft, a defence spokesperson said.
Chauhan, aged around 50, was a decorated and highly experienced fighter pilot.
An Indian Air Force Jaguar fighter jet crashed in Gujarat's Kutch district soon after it took off from the Jamnagar air base on Tuesday, killing Air Commodore Sanjai Chauhan who was piloting the aircraft, a defence spokesperson said.
Here's all you need to know about the officer:
* Chauhan was a recipient of the Vayu Sena Medal and was the Air Officer Commanding of Jamnagar Air Force Station.
* He was flying the deep penetration Jaguar fighter jet.
* Chauhan, commissioned in fighter stream of the IAF on December 16, 1989, was a Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) and Experimental Test Pilot with over 3,800 hours of service flying.
* Chauhan, aged around 50, was a decorated and highly experienced fighter pilot.
* "During his service, Chauhan had held several important posts such as the Commanding Officer of the Test Pilots' School. He also commanded a fighter squadron of the IAF," said one of the officials.
* "He was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2010," he said.
* "He was an ace fighter pilot with a vast flying experience and had flown 17 types of aircraft of the IAF including Jaguar, Mig-21, Hunter, HPT-32, Iskara, Kiran, Avro-748, AN-32 and Boeing 737," he said.
* Chauhan also had the unique experience of flying modern foreign fighter jets such as Rafale, Gripen and Euro Fighter as the leader of evaluation for the Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft selection.