Hilal Ahmed Rather - Revision history

Bot: robot: Create/update articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

2022-12-25T10:43:23Z

robot: Create/update articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:13, 25 December 2022
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{short description\|Indian Air Force officer}}		{{short description\|Indian Air Force officer}}
	{{Orphan\|date=November ~~2022~~}}		{{Orphan\|date=November 2020}}

	{{Use dmy dates\|date=June ~~2022~~}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=June 2020}}
	{{Use Indian English\|date=June ~~2022~~}}		{{Use Indian English\|date=June 2020}}
	{{Infobox military person		{{Infobox military person
	\| honorific_prefix = [[Air vice marshal (India)\|Air Vice Marshal]]		\| honorific_prefix = [[Air vice marshal (India)\|Air Vice Marshal]]
Line 33:		Line 33:

	==Career==		==Career==
	A native of southern Kashmir's [[Anantnag district]], Rather studied at the Sainik School Nagrota near Jammu from Class VI in 1978.<ref name="air_commodore">{{cite news \|title=Kashmiri Air Commodore Hilal Ahmad Rather becomes first Indian pilot to fly Rafale\|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/kashmiri-air-commodore-hilal-ahmad-rather-becomes-first-indian-pilot-to-fly-rafale-867021.html\|date=29 July 2020\|author=Zulfikar Majid\|work=Deccan Herald \|access-date=3 August ~~2022~~}}</ref> According to family friends, he rarely visited his home following the beginning of the insurgency in 1988.<ref name="air_commodore"/>		A native of southern Kashmir's [[Anantnag district]], Rather studied at the Sainik School Nagrota near Jammu from Class VI in 1978.<ref name="air_commodore">{{cite news \|title=Kashmiri Air Commodore Hilal Ahmad Rather becomes first Indian pilot to fly Rafale\|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/kashmiri-air-commodore-hilal-ahmad-rather-becomes-first-indian-pilot-to-fly-rafale-867021.html\|date=29 July 2020\|author=Zulfikar Majid\|work=Deccan Herald \|access-date=3 August 2020}}</ref> According to family friends, he rarely visited his home following the beginning of the insurgency in 1988.<ref name="air_commodore"/>

	Rather was commissioned into the regular (flying) branch of the IAF as a [[pilot officer]] on 17 December 1988, with the service number 19863,<ref name="commission">{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) \|page=1471 \|date=30 September 1989 \|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1989/O-0594-1989-0039-25650.pdf \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He passed out from the [[Air Force Academy (India)\|Air Force Academy]] at [[Dundigal]] as the "Best All-Round Pilot", winning both the President's Plaque and the academy Sword of Honor.<ref name="brightest"/> He was promoted [[flying officer]] on 17 December 1989 and [[flight lieutenant]] on 17 December 1993.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) \|page=1306 \|date=11 August 1990 \|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1990/O-0547-1990-0032-23306.pdf \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) \|page=1982 \|date=29 October 1994 \|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1994/O-0364-1994-0044-14347.pdf \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> Rather was promoted [[squadron leader]] on 17 December 1999,<ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) \|page=1114 \|date=15 September 2001\|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2001/O-2471-2001-0037-112727.pdf \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and went on a flight safety course in [[Bangladesh]] in 2003.<ref name="brightest"/> Rather also attended the [[Defence Services Staff College]] (DSSC) at Wellington.<ref name="rafale_man">{{cite news \|title=Kashmiri 'Rafale Man' was part of surgical strike against Pak\|url=https://www.thekashmirmonitor.net/kashmiri-rafale-man-was-part-of-surgical-strike-against-pak/\|date=30 July 2020\|agency=IANS\|work=The Kashmir Monitor \|access-date=14 August ~~2022~~}}</ref> He was promoted [[Wing commander (rank)\|wing commander]] on 16 December 2004 and [[group captain]] on 1 May 2010.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) \|page=368 \|date=18 March 2006\|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2006/W_11_2011_096.pdf \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) \|page=1629 \|date=3 September 2011\|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2011/W_36_2011_098.pdf \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He also served as an instructor at the DSSC.<ref name="rafale_man"/>		Rather was commissioned into the regular (flying) branch of the IAF as a [[pilot officer]] on 17 December 1988, with the service number 19863,<ref name="commission">{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) \|page=1471 \|date=30 September 1989 \|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1989/O-0594-1989-0039-25650.pdf \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He passed out from the [[Air Force Academy (India)\|Air Force Academy]] at [[Dundigal]] as the "Best All-Round Pilot", winning both the President's Plaque and the academy Sword of Honor.<ref name="brightest"/> He was promoted [[flying officer]] on 17 December 1989 and [[flight lieutenant]] on 17 December 1993.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) \|page=1306 \|date=11 August 1990 \|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1990/O-0547-1990-0032-23306.pdf \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) \|page=1982 \|date=29 October 1994 \|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1994/O-0364-1994-0044-14347.pdf \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> Rather was promoted [[squadron leader]] on 17 December 1999,<ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) \|page=1114 \|date=15 September 2001\|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2001/O-2471-2001-0037-112727.pdf \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and went on a flight safety course in [[Bangladesh]] in 2003.<ref name="brightest"/> Rather also attended the [[Defence Services Staff College]] (DSSC) at Wellington.<ref name="rafale_man">{{cite news \|title=Kashmiri 'Rafale Man' was part of surgical strike against Pak\|url=https://www.thekashmirmonitor.net/kashmiri-rafale-man-was-part-of-surgical-strike-against-pak/\|date=30 July 2020\|agency=IANS\|work=The Kashmir Monitor \|access-date=14 August 2020}}</ref> He was promoted [[Wing commander (rank)\|wing commander]] on 16 December 2004 and [[group captain]] on 1 May 2010.<ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) \|page=368 \|date=18 March 2006\|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2006/W_11_2011_096.pdf \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) \|page=1629 \|date=3 September 2011\|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2011/W_36_2011_098.pdf \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He also served as an instructor at the DSSC.<ref name="rafale_man"/>

	In 2011, Rather was selected for a course at the [[United States Air Force\|USAF]] [[Air War College]], which he passed with distinction.<ref name="brightest"/> After completing the course, he returned to India in 2013 and was posted to the AHQ (Air Headquarters) of the [[Western Air Command (India)\|Western Air Command]].<ref name="brightest"/> From 2013 to 2016, Rather served as director of fighter operations for the Western Air Command, with responsibility for training and operational plans.<ref name="rafale_man"/> Commanding [[Gwalior Airport\|AFS Gwalior]], Rather was involved in the September [[2016 Indian Line of Control strike]].<ref name="rafale_man"/> On 26 December 2016, he was promoted [[air commodore]].<ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) \|page=2380 \|date=21 September 2019\|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/212654.pdf \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>		In 2011, Rather was selected for a course at the [[United States Air Force\|USAF]] [[Air War College]], which he passed with distinction.<ref name="brightest"/> After completing the course, he returned to India in 2013 and was posted to the AHQ (Air Headquarters) of the [[Western Air Command (India)\|Western Air Command]].<ref name="brightest"/> From 2013 to 2016, Rather served as director of fighter operations for the Western Air Command, with responsibility for training and operational plans.<ref name="rafale_man"/> Commanding [[Gwalior Airport\|AFS Gwalior]], Rather was involved in the September [[2016 Indian Line of Control strike]].<ref name="rafale_man"/> On 26 December 2016, he was promoted [[air commodore]].<ref>{{cite news \|title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) \|page=2380 \|date=21 September 2019\|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/212654.pdf \|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
Line 56:		Line 56:

	==Personal life==		==Personal life==
	~~A devout Muslim,<ref name="air_commodore"/>~~ AH Rather is the youngest of five siblings, including three sisters and 1 brother.<ref name="brightest"/> His father was Muhammad Abdullah Rather [[Sena Medal\|SM]] (d. 2013), a decorated veteran of the 1962 [[Sino-Indian War]] who fought with the [[Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry]] and who subsequently joined the J&K police, retiring as a deputy superintendent.<ref name="brightest"/> His brother is a teacher in Anantnag, a chemistry lecturer, while his three elder sisters retired after careers in teaching and in the law; both his parents are deceased.<ref name="brightest"/><ref name="air_commodore"/> He married his wife Samina in 1993, with whom he has two children.<ref>{{cite news \|title=IAF officer who played key role in Rafale delivery hero back home in Kashmir\|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/iaf-officer-who-played-key-role-in-rafale-delivery-hero-back-home-in-kashmir/articleshow/77233316.cms\|date=29 July 2020\|author=Rohan Dua\|work=Times of India \|access-date=3 August ~~2022~~}}</ref><ref name="brightest">{{cite news \|title=First Rafale Man of India: 'Hilal Was the Brightest Among 5 Siblings'\|url=https://kashmirobserver.net/2020/07/28/first-rafale-man-of-india-hilal-was-the-brightest-among-5-siblings/\|date=28 July 2020\|author=Auqib Javeed\|work=Kashmir Observer \|access-date=10 August ~~2022~~}}</ref>		AH Rather is the youngest of five siblings, including three sisters and 1 brother.<ref name="brightest"/> His father was Muhammad Abdullah Rather [[Sena Medal\|SM]] (d. 2013), a decorated veteran of the 1962 [[Sino-Indian War]] who fought with the [[Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry]] and who subsequently joined the J&K police, retiring as a deputy superintendent.<ref name="brightest"/> His brother is a teacher in Anantnag, a chemistry lecturer, while his three elder sisters retired after careers in teaching and in the law; both his parents are deceased.<ref name="brightest"/><ref name="air_commodore"/> He married his wife Samina in 1993, with whom he has two children.<ref>{{cite news \|title=IAF officer who played key role in Rafale delivery hero back home in Kashmir\|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/iaf-officer-who-played-key-role-in-rafale-delivery-hero-back-home-in-kashmir/articleshow/77233316.cms\|date=29 July 2020\|author=Rohan Dua\|work=Times of India \|access-date=3 August 2020}}</ref><ref name="brightest">{{cite news \|title=First Rafale Man of India: 'Hilal Was the Brightest Among 5 Siblings'\|url=https://kashmirobserver.net/2020/07/28/first-rafale-man-of-india-hilal-was-the-brightest-among-5-siblings/\|date=28 July 2020\|author=Auqib Javeed\|work=Kashmir Observer \|access-date=10 August 2020}}</ref>

	== References ==		== References ==

Bot: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

2022-07-30T03:21:27Z

robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

New page

{{short description|Indian Air Force officer}}
{{Orphan|date=November 2022}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Air vice marshal (India)|Air Vice Marshal]]
| name = Hilal Ahmed Rather
| honorific_suffix = [[Vayu Sena Medal|VM]] [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]]
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| nickname ="Hally"<br>"Rafale Man"<ref name="rafale_man"/>
| birth_date =
| death_date =
| birth_place =
| death_place =
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial =
| allegiance = {{flagicon|India}} [[India]]
| branch = {{air force|India}}
| rank = [[File:Air Vice Marshal of IAF.png|20px]] [[Air vice marshal (India)|Air Vice Marshal]]
| servicenumber = 19863<ref name="commission"/>
| serviceyears = 1988-present
| unit =
| commands = AFS Gwalior
| battles = [[2016 Indian Line of Control strike]]
| awards = [[File:Vayusena_Medal_ribbon.svg|35px]] [[Vayu Sena Medal]]<br>[[File:Vishisht_Seva_Medal_ribbon.svg|35px]] [[Vishisht Seva Medal]]
| Image Size =
}}

[[Air vice marshal (India)|Air Vice Marshal]] '''Hilal Ahmed Rather''' [[Vayu Sena Medal|VM]], [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]] is an [[Indian Air Force]] [[air officer|air vice marshal]] from Kashmir in India. Since 2016, he serves as the Indian [[air attaché]] in [[Paris]], and organized the supply of the [[Dassault Rafale]] to the [[Indian Air Force]].<ref>[https://www.gulte.com/trends/17470/hilal-ahmed-rather-the-man-behind-rafale-delivery-to-india "Hilal Ahmed Rather: The Man Behind Rafale Delivery To India", 29 July 2020]</ref><ref>[https://www.thenorthlines.com/jks-very-own-rafale-hero-hilal/ "J&K’s very own 'Rafale Hero' Hilal, ''The Northlines'', 30 July 2020]</ref>

==Career==
A native of southern Kashmir's [[Anantnag district]], Rather studied at the Sainik School Nagrota near Jammu from Class VI in 1978.<ref name="air_commodore">{{cite news |title=Kashmiri Air Commodore Hilal Ahmad Rather becomes first Indian pilot to fly Rafale|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/kashmiri-air-commodore-hilal-ahmad-rather-becomes-first-indian-pilot-to-fly-rafale-867021.html|date=29 July 2020|author=Zulfikar Majid|work=Deccan Herald |access-date=3 August 2022}}</ref> According to family friends, he rarely visited his home following the beginning of the insurgency in 1988.<ref name="air_commodore"/>

Rather was commissioned into the regular (flying) branch of the IAF as a [[pilot officer]] on 17 December 1988, with the service number 19863,<ref name="commission">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=1471 |date=30 September 1989 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1989/O-0594-1989-0039-25650.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He passed out from the [[Air Force Academy (India)|Air Force Academy]] at [[Dundigal]] as the "Best All-Round Pilot", winning both the President's Plaque and the academy Sword of Honor.<ref name="brightest"/> He was promoted [[flying officer]] on 17 December 1989 and [[flight lieutenant]] on 17 December 1993.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=1306 |date=11 August 1990 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1990/O-0547-1990-0032-23306.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=1982 |date=29 October 1994 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1994/O-0364-1994-0044-14347.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> Rather was promoted [[squadron leader]] on 17 December 1999,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=1114 |date=15 September 2001|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2001/O-2471-2001-0037-112727.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and went on a flight safety course in [[Bangladesh]] in 2003.<ref name="brightest"/> Rather also attended the [[Defence Services Staff College]] (DSSC) at Wellington.<ref name="rafale_man">{{cite news |title=Kashmiri 'Rafale Man' was part of surgical strike against Pak|url=https://www.thekashmirmonitor.net/kashmiri-rafale-man-was-part-of-surgical-strike-against-pak/|date=30 July 2020|agency=IANS|work=The Kashmir Monitor |access-date=14 August 2022}}</ref> He was promoted [[Wing commander (rank)|wing commander]] on 16 December 2004 and [[group captain]] on 1 May 2010.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=368 |date=18 March 2006|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2006/W_11_2011_096.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=1629 |date=3 September 2011|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2011/W_36_2011_098.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He also served as an instructor at the DSSC.<ref name="rafale_man"/>

In 2011, Rather was selected for a course at the [[United States Air Force|USAF]] [[Air War College]], which he passed with distinction.<ref name="brightest"/> After completing the course, he returned to India in 2013 and was posted to the AHQ (Air Headquarters) of the [[Western Air Command (India)|Western Air Command]].<ref name="brightest"/> From 2013 to 2016, Rather served as director of fighter operations for the Western Air Command, with responsibility for training and operational plans.<ref name="rafale_man"/> Commanding [[Gwalior Airport|AFS Gwalior]], Rather was involved in the September [[2016 Indian Line of Control strike]].<ref name="rafale_man"/> On 26 December 2016, he was promoted [[air commodore]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=2380 |date=21 September 2019|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/212654.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

As defense air attaché in Paris, Rather is one of only four IAF officers in this role; the others are posted at the Indian missions in the U.S., the U.K. and Russia.<ref name="rafale_man"/> He has over 3,000 accident-free flight hours on [[Dassault Mirage 2000]], [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21|MiG-21]] and [[HAL HJT-16 Kiran|Kiran]] aircraft.<ref name="rafale_man"/> He was promoted to the rank of [[Air vice marshal (India)|air vice marshal]] in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/two-iaf-officers-from-jammu-and-kashmir-to-become-air-vice-marshals-384478|publisher=WION|title=Two IAF officers from Jammu and Kashmir to become Air vice-marshals|date=2021-05-12}}</ref>

==Awards==
Rather received the [[Vayu Sena Medal]] (VM) for devotion to duty in 2010, followed by the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2016.<ref name="brightest"/>

{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|{{Ribbon devices|ribbon=Vayusena Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|ribbon= Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| [[Vayu Sena Medal]]
|style="text-align:center;"| [[Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|}

==Personal life==
A devout Muslim,<ref name="air_commodore"/> AH Rather is the youngest of five siblings, including three sisters and 1 brother.<ref name="brightest"/> His father was Muhammad Abdullah Rather [[Sena Medal|SM]] (d. 2013), a decorated veteran of the 1962 [[Sino-Indian War]] who fought with the [[Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry]] and who subsequently joined the J&K police, retiring as a deputy superintendent.<ref name="brightest"/> His brother is a teacher in Anantnag, a chemistry lecturer, while his three elder sisters retired after careers in teaching and in the law; both his parents are deceased.<ref name="brightest"/><ref name="air_commodore"/> He married his wife Samina in 1993, with whom he has two children.<ref>{{cite news |title=IAF officer who played key role in Rafale delivery hero back home in Kashmir|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/iaf-officer-who-played-key-role-in-rafale-delivery-hero-back-home-in-kashmir/articleshow/77233316.cms|date=29 July 2020|author=Rohan Dua|work=Times of India |access-date=3 August 2022}}</ref><ref name="brightest">{{cite news |title=First Rafale Man of India: 'Hilal Was the Brightest Among 5 Siblings'|url=https://kashmirobserver.net/2020/07/28/first-rafale-man-of-india-hilal-was-the-brightest-among-5-siblings/|date=28 July 2020|author=Auqib Javeed|work=Kashmir Observer |access-date=10 August 2022}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rather, Hilal Ahmed}}
[[Category:Indian Air Force air marshals]]
[[Category:Indian military personnel]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Vishisht Seva Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Vayu Sena Medal]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]