6 August 2013
NEW DELHI: Air Commodore (retired) Jasjit Singh, one of India's foremost strategic thinkers, passed away here on Sunday. The 79-year-old had been hospitalized because of pneumonia.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said on Monday that Air Commodore Singh was "a brave soldier, an inspirational military leader, a brilliantstrategic thinker and a prolific author on military affairs."
"The nation is grateful for his enormous service to the nation - on the battlefield, in training generations of Air Force leaders, in building institutions such as theInstitute of Defence and Strategic Analysis and Centre for Air Power Studies and providing intellectual vision for India's defence and strategic planning," the PM said.
A decorated air force fighter pilot of the 1971 war, Singh was conferred Padma Bhushan — the country's second highest civilian award — in 2006 for his outstanding contributions to strategic analysis and thinking. He mentored several strategic analysts and writers, besides playing a crucial role in shaping India's military perspectives.
Air Commodore Singh headed the Institute of Defence and Strategic Analysis (IDSA) for 14 years, and mentored generations of policy wonks who today play crucial roles in shaping India's policies, especially in the military sphere. In 2001, he established the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS).
As a fighter pilot, Air Commodore Singh was part of several bombing missions for the liberation of Bangladesh during the 1971 war, and he went on to serve as the director of operations at the air force headquarters. After his retirement in 1987, Singh joined IDSA and established himself as a leading military analyst, with his insightful writing on a wide variety of topics on military affairs.
Singh wrote and edited several books on military affairs, national and regional security, and was also an authority on India's defence spending. He also wrote, "The Icon—An Authorised Biography of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, DFC."
Published by: The Times Of India