Vir Chakra (VrC)

During the operations against Pakistan in December 1971, Flight Lieutenant Hemant Sharat Kumar Sardesai was serving with a fighter squadron in the Eastern Sector. From 3 to 16 December, he flew 11 sorties of an offensive nature. In one of the missions, he was responsible for locating and later directing an attack on camouflaged enemy headquarters bunkers between Rajinderganj and Mahenderganj, which resulted in the capture of the enemy headquarters and about 160 enemy personnel. On 6 December, he was in first bomb strike mission of the squadron over Tezgaon airfield rendering it inoperative. On the night of 12 December, he attacked a ghost airfield at Narsingdi and followed the attack by day bombing and rendered the airfield unusable. He was in the formation that struck a vital military target in Dacca on 14 December. He was also in the first formation that struck enemy troop concentrations in Dacca, which accelerated the surrender of the Pakistani forces in Bangladesh.

Throughout the operations, Flight Lieutenant Sardesai displayed gallantry, professional skill and devotion to duty of a high order.