Pakistan remembers 1965 war hero MM Alam on his 7th death anniversary

The seventh death anniversary of daring fighter pilot and war hero Air Commodore (retd) Muhammad Mahmood Alam observed today.

Air Commodore MM Alam  a veteran of the 1965 and 1971 wars with India was awarded the third highest military award of Sitara-e-Jurat for his indomitable and gallant contributions during the 1965 war.

He, with his F-86 Sabre downed five Indian Air Force aircraft in 1 minute during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, all five aircraft are Hawker Hunter aircraft on one sortie.

During the war of 1965, he destroyed 11 Indian Air force jets nine were shot down while two were partially damaged.

Nations recognized his contribution and extra ordinary skills and awarded  MM Alam with the titles such as ‘Falcon’ and ‘Little Dragon’.

February 27, 2019: Glorious History of Pakistan Air Force

According to a veteran of the 1971 war,Commodore (retd) Shabbir Ahmed Khan, “MM Alam believed in lighting a candle rather than cursing the darkness.”

Shabbir Ahmed Khan said MM Alam always told their juniors that they would have to readily sacrifice their lives for the country if the situation demands.

MM Alam passed away in Karachi seven years ago at the age of 78.

The well-known British aviation writer John Fricker wrote in his article “”…Mohammad Mahmood Alam is a scrap of a man who appears almost lost in the none-too-roomy cockpit of a Sabre. Yet during the 1965 conflict with India, this Pakistani squadron commander established a combat record which has few equals in the history of jet warfare…Many pilots have scored several air victories in one sortie, and have exceeded or equaled Alam’s…shooting down up to five enemy aircraft of superior performance within a few minutes. But few are likely to be able to match his record of destroying at least three opponents – Hawker Hunters of the IAF [Indian Air Force] – within the space of somewhere around 30 seconds.”