Muhammad Mahmood Alam

Muhammad Mahmood Alam khan
Allegiance	Pakistan
Service/branch	Pakistan Air Force
Rank	Air Commodore
Battles/wars	Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Awards	Sitara-e-Jurat and Bar

Muhammad Mahmood Alam (Bengali: মুহাম্মদ মাহমুদ আলম, Urdu: محمد محمود عالم) or shortly M. M. Alam is a retired Air Commodore of Pakistan Air Force. He is a recipient of the Pakistani military decoration, the Sitara-e-Jurrat ("The star of courage") and a bar to it for his actions during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

He was born July 6, 1935 in Calcutta, British India. He is popularly known as "M.M. Alam" and nicknamed little dragon. He hailed from Bangladesh.

Air-to-Air kills

MM Alam aka little dragon is known for his actions during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 when he was posted at Sargodha. During this war he was involved in various dogfights. He is officially credited with downing six Hunters of the Indian Air Force in air-to-air combats, 5 of them in less than a minute, as follows:

• September 6, 1965, One Hawker Hunter: Squadron Leader Ajit Kumar Rawlley, No 7 Squadron, Killed in action, near Tarn Taran.
• September 7, 1965, Three Hawker Hunters (in one mission): Squadron Leader Onkar Nath Kacker, No 27 Sqn, POW, Squadron Leader Suresh B Bhagwat and Flying Officer Jagdev Singh Brar, No 7 Squadron, KIA, near Sangla Hill.
• September 16, 1965, One Hawker Hunter: Flying Officer Farokh Dara Bunsha, No 7 Squadron, KIA, near Amritsar.

The Indian sources attribute Alam with only five of these kills, attributing one of the "kills" claimed by PAF, Sqn Ldr Onkar Nath Kacker's aircraft loss, to booster failure.However, It was later on proved that he shot down 6 hunters.

Alam was the first commanding officer of the first squadron of Dassault Mirage III fighters procured by the PAF. However he was not very popular with the top management of the PAF and was shortly removed from command, on the excuse that he was not "literate enough"

During the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, all personnel who were of Bengali origins or were born in Bengal were grounded to prevent any defections. Thus, Alam was posted on a staff job and did not fly in combat. M.M. Alam retired in 1982 as an Air Commodore and currently resides in Karachi. One of the roads of Gulberg in Lahore is named after him as M. M. Alam road. His brother M. Shahid Alam is an Economist and a professor at Northeastern University, Boston. His brother M. Sajjad Alam is a particle physicist at SUNY Albany and is responsible for discovering over a dozen particles. More notably, his son, Nadeem played 3 Test Matches for Pakistan in 1989.

Citation

"On 6th September, 1965, during an aerial combat over enemy territory, Squadron Leader Mohammad Mahmood Alam flying as pilot of an F-86 Sabre Jet, shot down two enemy Hunter aircraft and damaged three others. For the exceptional flying skill and valor displayed by Squadron Leader Mohammad Mahmood Alam in operations, he was awarded Sitara-i-Juraat. On 7th September, 1965, in a number of interception missions flown by Squadron Leader Mohammad Mahmood Alam against enemy aircraft attacking Pakistan Air Force Station, Sargodha, Squadron Leader Alam destroyed five more enemy Hunter aircraft in less than a minute, which remains a record until today. Overall, he had nine kills and two damages to his credit. For the exceptional flying skill and valour shown by him in pressing home his attacks in aerial combats with the enemy, Squadron Leader Mohammad Mahmood Alam is awarded a bar to his Sitara-i-Juraat."

Official sources

• History of PAF - Government of Pakistan
• "Laying the Sargodha Ghost to rest." Vayu Aerospace Review. November 1985

See also

• Pakistan Air Force
• Sitara-e-Jurat
• Flying aces

External links

• Muhammad Mahmood Alam, YesPakistan.com
• Citation of PAF Heros, at Pakdef.info