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Farooq Umar

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Air Vice Marshal Farooq Umar is a veteran Pakistani fighter pilot who is known for breaking the sound barrier two times over an enemy base in his Lockheed F-104 during the 1965 War. [1][2][3]

Muhammad Farooq Umer
Birth nameUrdu: محمد فاروق عمر
NicknameSpeedster
Born (1941-07-24) 24 July 1941 (age 84)
Allegiance Pakistan
Branch Pakistan Air Force
RankAir Vice Marshall
UnitNo. 9 Squadron "Griffins"
No. 5 Squadron "Falcons"
Conflicts
Other workPresident of Pakistan Hockey Federation

Early life

Farooq was born at Faisalabad in 1941. His father Mian Muhammad Nurullah was the first Finance Minister of Punjab in the 1947/48 Mandate cabinet.

Personal life

Avm Farooq Umar was married to Late Seemeen Farooq from Quetta.

They had four children: Syma Farooq, Shehma Farooq, Salaar Farooq and Sonia Farooq.

Grand Children: Ahad Farooq, Asad Farooq, Shanze Farooq, Shahmeer Farooq, Shireen Farooq, Anya Ali, Alize Ali and Mariah Farooq.

Education

He received his initial schooling at Burn hall Abbottabad, Central Model School and Government College Lahore, followed by his B.Sc. in 1976 from Karachi University, and M.Sc. in War Studies from Quaid-e-Azam University in 1978, and a PhD) in International Relations from the Royal College of Defence Studies London 1983.

He was the only Asian student to give a presentation to the Queen Elizabeth II and the UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher regarding “Pakistan’s Importance for NATO” and the need for Pakistan to rejoin the British Common Wealth". (While in RCDS London 1982).

Career

Service with the Air Force

Farooq joined the Pakistan Air force in 1958 and graduated as a fighter pilot from the Risalpur Academy in 1960 after winning Triple honours i.e. Sword of Honour, Best Pilot's Trophy and the Academics Trophy. He subsequently won the Jet Conversion Trophy in 1961 and the “Top Gun” award as well as the Roll of Honour from the Fighter leader School in 1971.[4]

In 1962, he was posted to the PAF's elite No. 9 Squadron "Griffins" flying F-104 Starfighters.[5]

He has taught in the National Defence College (War Wing) and was Air defence Sector Commander for Sindh and Baluchistan, Base Commander Lahore, Commandant PAF Staff College Faisal Karachi, Base commander Faisal Air Base Karachi, and Director General Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra.

He has been decorated 12 times by the Government of Pakistan, out of which three times he has been Decorated for Courage and Bravery in Combat (Gallantry Award of Sitara-e-Jurrat, Sitara-e-Basalat and Tamgaha-e-Basalat).

Operation Desert Hawk

During the Rann of Kutch conflict, Farooq flew various sorties and also participated in the Battle of Biar Bet during which he assisted the 24th Cavalry's fight against Indian forces.

1965 Indo-Pakistani War

During rise in hostilities with India over the disputed Indian Administered Kashmir region, Farooq's Squadron was deployed at PAF Base Sargodha from where they flew various air defence and combat sorties but on 1st September 1965, the PAF's Commander in Chief, "Nur Khan" ordered then Flight Lieutenant Farooq Umer to perform a low level sonic boom over the IAF airbase at Amritsar. Farooq did as he was told and took off in his Mach 2 capable Lockheed F-104A Starfighter. As he crossed the international border, Farooq went Supersonic and performed a sonic boom over the IAF's Amritsar Air Base. Farooq then reached out to Nur Khan over the radio and informed him about the mission's status to which Nur Khan ordered him to perform another sonic boom over the same Base. Farooq did as he was told but this time the Indians started firing their Anti-Aircraft guns, though the high speeds kept his aircraft safe and he successfully performed the second sonic boom, Farooq was ordered to return to base. Upon reaching back at Sargodha, Farooq learnt that his sonic booms had caught the Indians completely off guard to such an extent that the All India Radio was reported to have narrated about the Amritsar Air Base being attacked and rocketed/bombed by 8 Pakistani F-86 Sabres.[6][7]

1971 Indo Pakistani War

During the 1971 war, Farooq was serving as a Squadron Leader in the PAF's second most elite No. 5 Squadron "eagles" flying Dassault Mirage-3EP strike fighters. He participated in the PAF's Operation Chengiz Khan. On 5 December 1971, Farooq shot down two IAF Hakwer Hunters over Lyalpur.[8][9][10]

1973 Arab-Israeli War

During the Yom Kippur War, Farooq was amongst several other PAF volunteers who were deployed to various Arab countries in the Middle East to serve as military advisors. Farooq also performed air defence operations during the conflict.

Ministry of Defence Service

After his 35 years of service with the PAF, he was assigned to the Federal Government and was asked to Setup Shaheen Air and then was made CEO and Managing Director PIAC and given Grade-M1 (Which is equal to three Stars).

Other Services

Farooq Umer served as the President of the Pakistan Hockey Federation from 1993–96.[11] Until quite recently he was the elected President of Majlis-e-Quaid-e-Azam, President AFOS (Falcon Enclave), Vice President PAFROA Punjab and Patron in Chief Al-Shaoor Welfare Association (All Honorary)

Literary Work

Farooq also presides the "AVM Farooq Foundation" which provides inspirational material to the youth and the general public. For this, he wrote a book "Learn The Secrets of Success" containing the rules of Self Motivation and determination to achieve goals. The first edition of the book was published in September 2013 followed by the second edition in November 2013 due to a quick and warm response of readers. The preface of the book was written by Muhammad Mahmood Alam, a well known war veteran and Flying ace of the 1965 War.[12]

See Also

References

  1. ^ "Ghazis Of 1971 war". Sentinels In The Sky (A Saga of PAF's Gallant Air Warriors) (PDF). p. 394. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  2. ^ "PIA's seventy-year-long descent".
  3. ^ "Pakistan 'Defence Day' To Be Observed With Patriotic Zeal Tomorrow". Urdu Point. 6 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Who's Who in Top 100 Companies". Economic Review. December 1, 1993.
  5. ^ Bell, T (2014). F-104 Starfighter Units in Combat. Osprey. p. 82. ISBN 9781780963136.
  6. ^ Air Commodore Muhammad Ali (20 February 2021). "Fast & Furious: A Tale of Starfighter-Speedster of PAF". Second To None. Directorate of Media Affairs Pakistan Air Force.
  7. ^ "1965 War Interview with Air Vice Marshall (R) Farooq Umer" (Interview). Interviewed by Zainab Fareed Khan. Pakistan: YouTube. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  8. ^ "1971 GALLANTRY AWARDS". Pakistan Air Force Museum.
  9. ^ "PAF Kills (1971 War)". PakDef.info. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 2022-08-30. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 5 June 2008 suggested (help)
  10. ^ "CITATION OF PAF HEROS". PakDef.info. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
  11. ^ Friskin, Sydney (1997). Going for Gold: Pakistan at Hockey. Oxford UP. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-19-577807-6.
  12. ^ "AVM Farooq Foundation". Facebook.
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