Harcharan Singh Manget
{{Short description|Indian Air Force Officer (1932–1988)}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2010}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = Air Commodore
| name = Harcharan Singh Mangat
| honorific_suffix = MVC
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1932|06|06}}
| birth_place = Ludhiana, British India
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1988|07|14|1932|06|06}}
| death_place =
| image =
| caption =
| nickname =
| allegiance = {{Flag|India}}
| branch = {{air force|India}}
| serviceyears = 1954–1986
| rank = 20px Air Commodore
| commands = No. 32 Squadron IAF
| unit = No. 32 Squadron IAF
| battles = {{unbulleted list|Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|Indo-Pakistani War of 1971}}
| awards = 35px Maha Vir Chakra{{Cite web|url=https://gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/wing-commander-harcharan-singh-manget|title=WING COMMANDER HARCHARAN SINGH MANGET|publisher=Indian Army, Govt of India official website}}
| laterwork =
}}
Air Commodore Harcharan Singh Mangat MVC (6 June 1932 – 14 July 1988) was an Indian officer of the Indian Air Force, who participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 for which he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second highest military award.
Early life
Military career
During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 in the western sector, Wing Commander Harcharan Singh Mangat was commanding officer of the No. 32 Squadron IAF, an Operational Bomber Squadron, operating Sukhoi Su-7 aircraft. Wing Commander Harcharan Singh Mangat undertook a number of interdiction, close support missions and photographic reconnaissance missions, without fighter escort, deep into Pakistan territory. The information brought by him from the reconnaissance missions was used in the operational planning and success of Indian Army and the Indian Air Force operations.
For gallantry, professional skills and leadership of the high order, he was awarded India's second highest military award, the Maha Vir Chakra{{Cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/4666|title=Air Commodore Harcharan Singh Manget|publisher=Bharat Rakshak}}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzizVBSb4YsC&pg=PA237|title=Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners|last=Chakravorty|first=B.|publisher=Allied Publishers|year= 1995|isbn=9788170235163 |page= 237 |language=en}}
He later rose to the rank of Air Commodore before retiring. He died in a Helicopter crash on 14 July 1988, at the age of 56.{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Anchit |date=2024-11-24 |title=Manget: The Sikhoi that refused to be shot down |url=https://iafhistory.in/2024/11/24/manget-the-sikhoi-that-refused-to-be-shot-down/ |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=#IAFHistory |language=en-US}}
References
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Category:Indian Air Force air commodores
Category:Indian military aviators
Category:Pilots of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Category:Pilots of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Category:Indian military personnel of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Category:Reconnaissance pilots
Category:Recipients of the Maha Vir Chakra
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