Vir Chakra (VrC)

On the night of 9 November 1987, at 2330 hours, Wing Commander Krishna Kumar Yadav, task force commander, heliborne operations in Jaffana was called upon by the Division Commander to undertake an emergent mission in which 180 commandos of a Para Battalion, were to be dropped at Sabaipai to neutralise a stronghold of the militants. Knowing the guerilla warfare tactics and the prevailing ground situation, Wing Commander Yadav made a prudent assessment of the situation, and flew initially a single aircraft with limited troops to the dropping zone to guard against the possibility of large unescorted heliborne force getting destroyed by ground fire before it could reach the target. His appreciation proved correct. Just after the force had landed, the militant guerillas opened heavy ground fire on the helicopter, and took a pot shot at Wing Commander Yadav's aircraft. A brave and dedicated leader Wing Commander Yadav took control of his aircraft and returned the helicopter safely to base. Undeterred by operational hazards of guerilla warfare and the fierce ground fire encountered in the previous sortie, he led the remaining two sorties shortly after the first mission, and accomplished the task of dropping all 180 troops at the designated place even through the ground fire still persisted.

Wing Commander Yadav displayed gallantry, professionalism and selfless devotion to duty in action against the militants.