IAF Awards Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) to 26 Air Warriors for Pakistan Strikes and Air-Defence Heroics

Twenty-six officers and airmen of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been conferred the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) for missions that included precision strikes on targets inside Pakistan and the operation of S-400 and other air-defence systems that thwarted every planned Pakistani attack on Indian soil during the recent crisis.

Announced on the eve of Independence Day, the awards form part of the President-approved national gallantry list and underscore how air power and layered air defence proved decisive during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. The list includes fighter pilots credited with deep-strike and suppression missions, as well as surface-to-air missile (SAM) crews, radar controllers, and battle-management teams who created an airtight defensive umbrella.

What these medals recognise

The Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) is awarded for acts of exceptional courage that hold special significance for air operations. In this cycle, it honours:

• Strike crews that executed time-sensitive targeting missions against Pakistani military infrastructure, using stand-off weapons, decoys, and electronic-warfare escorts to reduce exposure to enemy air defences.

• Air-defence operators who ran India’s integrated air-defence network (IADN)—including S-400, Akash, Pechora, and SPYDER batteries—coordinated with AWACS and ground-based radars to detect, classify, and intercept inbound threats ranging from cruise missiles and armed drones to tactical aircraft.

• Mission planners and controllers who fused satellite, AWACS, and ground sensor feeds to deliver real-time cueing for both offensive and defensive missions, enabling rapid retasking and multi-axis salvos.

Why this matters

• The awards validate India’s evolving doctrine of combining long-range precision strike with a tiered air shield. During Operation Sindoor, the IAF’s quick-reaction missiles and SAM batteries created narrow “windows of advantage” for strike packages while denying airspace to adversary aircraft and munitions.

• Recognition for S-400 teams highlights how strategic SAMs—integrated with legacy and medium-range systems—can push enemy aircraft back, protect logistics hubs, and guard high-value assets such as airbases and command centres.

• Honouring both aircrew and ground-based defenders reflects the joint nature of modern air warfare: precision strikes succeed when defended air corridors, electronic attack, and ISR all line up in the same minute-by-minute battle rhythm.

The bigger picture

India’s 2025 gallantry roll also includes multiple Vir Chakras for IAF fighter pilots from the same campaign, indicating the scale and intensity of air operations. Official tallies of awards show 26 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry) this year—an unusually high number for the IAF—capturing the breadth of roles from cockpit to command post. Together, the decorations tell a clear story: India’s conventional missile-and-air-defence pairing has matured into a combat-credible deterrent.

About the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry)

Instituted in 1960, the Vayu Sena Medal recognises courage and devotion to duty with a specific “Gallantry” designation for acts in the face of the enemy. It may be awarded to any rank of the IAF, and repeat awards are recognised by a bar on the ribbon.