Latif was the IAF chief from September 1978 to August 1981,
AMN / HYDERABAD
Former chief of the Indian Air Force, IAF, Air Chief Marshal Idris Hassan Latif, passed away at a private hospital in Hyderabad on Monday. He was 94.
Defence minister Seetharaman has condoled the death of Latif. In a tweet she said: Deeply saddened by the demise of Air Chief Marshal Idris Hasan Latif. Our deepest condolences to his family & friends. The nation will be always grateful for his exemplary service.-
Latif, who was the IAF chief from September 1978 to August 1981, was admitted to the hospital on April 25 with ‘aspiration pneumonia’.
Latif, was the only Air Force officer associated with three different air forces and participated in several battles including the World War II. He was associated with the Royal Indian Air Force, Royal Air Force and Indian Air Force. He also trained pilots of the Indonesian Air Force. Latif is the only Muslim to have served as the head of any of the three wings of the Indian armed forces.
He was the first and only Indian Muslim to become the head of the Indian Air Force, or of any Indian armed force. At the time of partition, he chose IAF though he was reportedly urged by some to join the Pakistan Air Force.
“When Partition bought with it the division of the armed forces, Latif as a Muslim officer was faced with the choice of joining both India or Pakistan, but there was no making up of minds for him. He was very clear that his future lay with India. Even though both Asghar as well as Noor Khan called him up to persuade Latif to join them in the fledgling Pakistan Air Force, Latif made it clear that for him, religion and country were not interlinked. It was no surprise that Latif made his way to become the first Muslim Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force”, notes an IAF website.
During the 1971 War, Latif was still the ACAS (Plans). He was keenly involved in flying to the frontline squadrons and getting first hand information on the progress of the war and the requirements of the units if any. Latif was in the Eastern Sector at Shillong when the surrender in East Pakistan took place. In 1974, Latif became an Air Marshal and held the appointment of Air Officer In-Charge of Administration at Air HQ. He became AOC-in-C Central Air Command afterwards. One of the memorable landmarks of this tenure was the Air Force relief operations under his stewardship during the Patna floods in 1975. Under his guidance, the helicopter pilots flew as many as 20 sorties per day to carry out humanitarian tasks. After a short while, he took over Maintenance Command. Latif then joined Air HQ as the Vice Chief of Air Staff, which post he held till 1978, when he took over as Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force.
Born on June 9, 1923 at Hyderabad, Idris Hassan Latif was educated at the Nizam”s College . He joined the Royal Indian Air Force in 1941 at the age of 18 and was commissioned in 1942.
On completion of his training at Ambala, he was posted in Karachi, where he flew vintage biplanes like the Wapiti, Audaxes and Harts, on Anti-Submarine flights over the Arabian Sea, according to an IAF website.
During 1943-44, he was one of the few Indian pilots to be seconded to the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom,where he underwent training on more contemporary aircraft like the Hurricane and Spitfire.
He returned to India in 1944 and took part in the Burma campaign. During the 1971 War, Latif was still the (Assistant Chief of Air Staff) ACAS (Plans).
He was keenly involved in flying to the front line squadrons and getting first hand information on the progress of the war and the requirement of the units if any.
Latif was in the Eastern Sector at Shillong when the surrender in East Pakistan took place.
He was involved fully in the re-equipment and modernisation plans of the air force and he convinced the government to approve the procurement of the Jaguar strike aircraft, a proposal which was lying dormant for over 8 years.
He also held negotiations with the Russians and saw the induction of the MiG-23 and later, the MiG-25 aircraft into the IAF, according to the reports.
After retirement, he also served as the governor of Maharashtra (1982–85) and later as the Indian ambassador to France (till 1988).
Deeply saddened by the demise of Air Chief Marshal Idris Hasan Latif. Our deepest condolences to his family & friends.
The nation will be always greatful for his exemplary service.@nsitharaman@PIB_India @SpokespersonMoD— रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) April 30, 2018