Air Commodore Jasjit Singh AVSM, VrC, VM 🇮🇳

Air Commodore JASJIT SINGH  was the doyen of India's strategic community and was perhaps it most prominent protagonist of air power. He was commissioned in 1956 and stood first in each and every course Air Commodore Jasjit Singh was the doyen of India's strategic community and was perhaps its most of instruction that he underwent including Flying Instructors Course and course at Defence Services Staff College.

During the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, he persuaded his bosses to release him from staff work at Air Headquarters and allow him to participate in the conflict. He flew a number of operational missions over heavily defended enemy areas and in spite of heavy ground opposition he pressed home his attacks and destroyed a number of enemy tanks, gun positions and bunkers. He was conferred with the VrC for courage and valour displayed by him during these missions.

He was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 1974 for his excellent flying record.

One of his more significant contributions was in the Career Planning Cell at Air Headquarters where he studied the problems of manpower planning and came up with solutions that helped the IAF formulate long term personnel policies which continue to be followed albeit with slight changes. He also did a stint in the Directorate of Flight Safety where he carried out some in-depth analysis of data on aircraft accidents that helped formulation of long-term policies on flight safety. He also laid the foundation of the newly raised Directorate Operation (Aircraft Induction) which, even after his departure, ensured smooth induction and quick operationalization of various types of aircraft that were inducted during late 1980s. He was awarded AVSM for his efforts.

In 1987, Jasjit Singh, after two tenures as Deputy Director, was appointed Director, Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, the country's premier think tank on strategic and security issues. It was at this Institute that he found his moorings. His 14 years' stewardship of IDSA (1987-2001) witnessed historic and fundamental changes affecting India's national security policy in a holistic approach. During these years of outstanding service he left an indelible imprint of exemplary dedication, deep professional commitment, rare physical and intellectual courage and an objective visionary approach to issues of national security and defence. He was much sought after by the international community for his views on nuclear strategy, employment of air power and allied subjects.

He was selected as the country's expert to the Third UN Special Session on Disarmament and addressed it in 1988. Over the years, he regularly lectured at defence and war colleges in India and major countries abroad on India's security interests and policies in a changing strategic environment. He was the Convener of the three-member Task Force in 1988 to set up the National Security Council and member of the National Security Advisory Board (1990-91, 1999-2001), Advisory Committee to 11th Finance Commission on defence matters, besides the Planning Commission's Advisory Committee on "Vision 2020" and Advisory Committee on Civil Aviation of Punjab Govt.

After leaving IDSA, he founded Center for Air Power Studies now Ca and under his stewardship the Center became a leading think-tank both nationally and internationally. An internationally recognized icon, Air Commodore Jasjit Singh was still in harness when he passed away in 2013.