ISRAEL MIRAGE III C J FLOWN BY CAPTAIN GIDEON DROR BY FLIGHT LIEUT SAIFUL AZAM PAKISTAN AIRFORCE ON 7TH JUNE 1967 OVER H 3 AIRBASE IRAQ–GIDEON SAFELY EJECTED BUT BECAME A PRISONER OF WAR.SAIF UL AZAM WAS AWARDED IRAQS NAWT UL SHUJA
Date Pilot Name
AF Unit Aircraft Flown
Base Kills
Aircraft/Pilot Comments
5 June 1967 Flt. Lt. Saiful Azam
PAF Royal Jordanian Air Force Hawker Hunter
Mafrak AB, Jordan. 1 Israeli Air Force (IDAF)
Super Mystere B-2 Over Mafrak AB, Jordan. 6 IAF S. Mysteres Vs. 4 RJAF Hunters.
7 June 1967 Flt. Lt. Saiful Azam
PAF Iraqi Air Force Hawker Hunter
(S. No. 702)
H-3 AB, Iraq. 1 Israeli Air Force Mirage IIICJ
1 Israeli Air Force Vatour IIN Bomber
M.IIICJ pilot was Gideon Dror, IAF while Vatour IIN bomber was the IAF Vatour flight lead In a single sortie over H-3 AB, Iraq at 1130 hours. 4 IAF M.IIIs & 4 Vatours Vs. 4 IraqAF Hunters.
Total: 3 Air-to-Air Kills
Bangladeshi Fighter Ace of India_Pak and Arab-Israeli Wars
By
A Bangladeshi
Group Captain. Saiful Azam, from Pakistan Air Force ,later Bangladesh Airforce after 1971 , holds awards for gallantry in aerial combat from Pakistan, Jordan, and Iraq!
Bangladeshi’s should be proud of his outstanding and courageous exploits.
Saiful Azam
Azam was born in 1941 in Pabna, (the then) India, and, as a young boy, lived in Calcutta. In 1947, his family moved east to the area that became part of predominately Muslim East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). In 1955, he went to West Pakistan and attended high school until 1958, when he entered the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Cadet College. Graduating in 1960, he was commissioned as a pilot officer in the PAF.
He trained in the Cessna T-37 and then travelled to Luke AFB, Arizona, for an advanced fighter course in the North American F-86 Sabre. He returned to East Pakistan and flew the Sabre jet until 1963.
Aerial Combat Exploits
1965 War
During the September 1965 war with India, Azam was flying Sabres in No. 17 Squadron from PAF Base Sargodha. After successfully executing a ground attack strike, his formation was ‘bounced’ by Indian Air Force fighter’s. In the ensuring fight, Azam shot down one of the two attackers, a Folland Gnat, and earned his first victory. His victim, Flight Officer. V. Mayadev, thankfully ejected safely to become a POW.
For this exploit Saiful Azam was awarded the Sitara-I-Jurat, united Pakistan’s Distinguished Flying Cross.
1967 Arab-Israeli War
In late 1966, he became an advisor to the Royal Jordanian Air Force and flew as a ‘volunteer’ in a Hawker Hunter with No. 1 Royal Jordanian Squadron (RJAF). During the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, he again distinguished himself in the air.
. On 5 June 1967, his flight of four Hawker Hunter fighter’s engaged Israeli Dassault Super Mysteres jet’s attacking RJAF Mafraq, the major Jordanian air base. Azam shot one down and sent another smoking towards Israel.
Two days later, on 7 June 1967, the Israelis struck H-3, an air base in western Iraq. Azam, this time flying an Iraqi Hunter, scored two further victories. During the Israeli attack, he first downed a Dassault Mirage III and, moments later, downed a Sud-0uest Vautour bomber.
His formation had first intercepted an Israeli formation of Four Vautours and Two Mirage IIIs. One of the Mirage IIIs was flown by Israeli Capt. Gideon Dror. Dror shot down Azam’s Wingman, but himself fell to Azam’s Guns. Dror ejected safely to be taken as a POW. Moments later, Azam intercepted the formation of four Vautour Bombers and bought down one of them flown by Israeli Capt. Golan, who ejected.
Source: ACIG Air Combat Publications and Airforce archives.
Saiful Azam’s Exploits in Perspective
Considering the widely acknowledged skill and success of Israeli pilots, Azam’s three confirmed victories merit great praise. His tally has a range of kills including the enviable credit of a Mach 2 Mirage III Fighter. Truely a gifted and superior pilot. Arguably the most successful fighter pilot from the Subcontinent.
In fact, considering the abysmal display of the ineffectually trained and led Arab pilot’s in the Arab-Israeli conflict’s, it is possible that Bangali Azam was the highest scoring Muslim pilot flying on the Arab side in the 1967 Six Day War!!
Military Decorations
For his outstanding actions, he received Jordan’s Husame Isteqlal and Iraq’s Medal of Bravery, the Noth-es-Shuja. He returned to East Pakistan in 1969 and became a flight commander in a squadron flying the Shenyang F-6. Next, Azam became a flight commander at the PAF Fighter Leader’s School.
Post Independence
Being a Bangali, Saiful Azam did not fly in 1971. When East Pakistan gained independence as Bangladesh, he became Director of Flight Safety, and, later, Director of Operations for the newly formed Bangladesh Biman Bahini (Air Force). In 1977, he became Wing Commander and Base Commander of the BAF base at Dhaka.
After retiring as a group captain, in the 1980s, Azam twice served as Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority. He was also Managing Director of the Film Development Corporation. A member of Bangladesh’s Parliament from 1991 to 1996, he is now Managing Director, Natasha Trading Agency, Limited, trading in aircraft and other equipment. He also directs a travel agency and with his wife, Nishat, has three children.
Note: In fact successful fighter pilot’s of the old Pakistani Air Force tended to be of Bangali origin eg. Wing Commander. MM. Alam and Sarfaraz Rafiqui, from Kushtia and Rajshahi respectively.
Wow, what do you guys think?
I don’t think he is known widely in Bangladesh. Although he was certainly one of the most gifted in his field.
ANOTHER VERSION FROM A PILOT :—
Super Mystere B-2, but rather a Mystere IV of the “Flying Wing” squadron, flown by 2nd. Lt. Hanania Bula
