Who is Air Marshal AK Bharti, the man who planned demolition of Pakistan’s terror industry during Op Sindoor?
Air Marshal AK Bharti: The Indian armed forces demolished terror infrastructures and killed over 100 terrorists, deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), in a series in midnight missile strikes on May 7, in response to last month’s barbaric Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 civilians, mostly Indian Hindu tourists, were killed in cold blood by terrorists.
Over the last few days, details have emerged about Operation Sindoor, and the roles each of India’s tri-forces — Indian Army, the Indian Airforce, and the Indian Navy– played during the conflict that lasted over four days. One key name which has emerged as being the architect of planning the destruction of Pakistan’s terror industry is Air Marshal AK Bharti, the Director-General of Operations for the IAF.
Lets us find out more about this decorated officer and his role in dismantling Pakistan’s terror industry:
Who is Air Marshal AK Bharti?
A decorated veteran officer with nearly two decades of services, Air Marshal Avdhesh Kumar Bharti was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on June 13, 1987, and is a fighter combat leader, who led a Sukhoi-30 MKI squadron from August 2005 to September 2007, where he was instrumental in operationalising the weapon systems of the aircraft and developing tactics.
Under his command, the Sukhoi-30 MKI squadron was involved in major exercises including Gagan Shakti, Indradhanush 2006 (with the Royal Air Force), and Garuda 2007 (with the French Air Force). A postgraduate of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) and the National Defence College (NDC), AK Bharti is credited with operationalising modern weapon systems for the IAF, and developing new strategies for penetrating enemy territory.
In 1997, Air Marshal Bharti was awarded CAS Commendation in 1997 by the Chief of Air Staff for work devotion, and in 2008, he was conferred with the Vayu Sena Medal “extraordinary devotion to duty and excellent leadership”, specifically for his role in operationalising the Sukhoi-30 MKI squadron and improving its combat effectiveness.
Bharti has also been conferred with the Accident-Free Flying award, and “Three Stars” for accident-free flying. He has served as the Director General Air Operations (DGAO) since September 2023.
Air Marshal Bharti’s role in Operation Sindoor
As the DGAO of the IAF, Air Marshal AK Bharti was among those who planned and conducted the May 7 precision air strikes on terror targets inside Pakistan and PoK under Operation Sindoor. In a joint press briefing of the tri-forces on Sunday, Bharti revealed how IAF struck terrorist training camps in Bahawalpur and Muridke, and Pakistan’s air bases in Chakala, Rafiq, and Rahim Yar Khan.
In another briefing on Monday, the officer also confirmed that the IAF struck several targets in Karachi, including Malir Cantonment, a military base located 35km from the Pakistani city.
Bharti said that India’s “measured and calibrated” response to Pakistani aggression – i.e., the drone and missile strikes, and small arms fire and artillery shelling across the border – was the targeting of military installations, including a surface-to-air missile site at Malir Cantonment in Karachi.
News