Mongkeydyoyo88 at 22:50, 10 August 2025

2025-08-10T22:50:20Z

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{{Short description|Indian aviator and air marshal}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox military person
|image= LakshmanMohanKatre.jpg
|name= Lakshman Madhav Katre
|honorific_prefix = [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]]
|honorific_suffix = [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]], [[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal|AVSM]] [[Medal bar|**]]
|birth_date= 26 January 1927<ref name="IAF">{{Cite web|author=|url=https://indianairforce.nic.in/air-chief-marshal-lakshman-madhav-katre-pvsm-avsm-and-bar-cas/|title=Air Chief Marshal Lakshman Madhav Katre|publisher=Indian Air Force}}</ref>
|death_date={{Death date and age|1985|07|1|1927|1|26|df=yes}}
|birth_place= [[Madras]]
|death_place= Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
|caption=
|nickname=
|allegiance = {{flag|British India}} (1946–1947)<br/>{{flag|India}} (from 1947)
|branch = {{air force|British India}}<br/>{{air force|India}}
|serviceyears= 1946–1985
|rank= [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]]
|commands=
|unit=
|battles=
|awards= [[Param Vishist Seva Medal]]<br>[[Ati Vishist Seva Medal]]
|laterwork=
|module = {{infobox officeholder|embed=yes
|order = 12th
|office = Chief of the Air Staff (India){{!}}Chief of the Air Staff
|term_start = 4 September 1984
|term_end = 1 July 1985
|predecessor = [[Dilbagh Singh]]
|successor = [[Denis La Fontaine]]
}}
}}

[[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] '''Lakshman Madhav Katre''', [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]], [[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal|AVSM]] [[Medal Bar|and Bar]] (1927–1985) was the head of the [[Indian Air Force]] (IAF) from 1984 to 1985, as [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of the Air Staff]] and the second IAF Chief of Staff to die in harness. He was awarded the [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] and [[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]] and Bar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Awards/awards.php?cur=50&qyear=all&qaward=1VSM&qunit=all |title=Indian Air Force Gallantry & Service Awards Register [www.bharat-rakshak.com] |publisher=Bharat-rakshak.com |date= |accessdate=2012-03-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Personnel/Chiefs/262-LM-Katre.html |title=Indian Air Force :: Lakshman Mohan Katre |publisher=Bharat-rakshak.com |date= |accessdate=2012-03-26 |archive-date=8 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208155054/http://bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Personnel/Chiefs/262-LM-Katre.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

He hailed from the [[Konkani people|Konkani community]]<ref name="Daiji World">{{cite news |last= |first= |date=16 December 2022|title=Mangaluru: Portraits of three Indian defence heroes unveiled at World Konkani Centre|url=https://daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1030161|newspaper=Daiji World|access-date= 24 December 2024}}</ref> and completed his schooling from [[The Doon School]], Dehradun, India.<ref name="LM Katre Memorial Lecture">{{cite news|last=Hindu|first=The|title=LM Katre Memorial Lecture|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/article1698134.ece|accessdate=2012-10-19|newspaper=The Hindu|date=2011-04-15}}</ref> He joined the Royal Indian Air Force on 3 Aug 1944 as an officer cadet and was granted an emergency commission in the General Duties (Pilot) branch on 9 Apr 1945.<ref name="IAF"/>

In his career in the lAF, he commanded with distinction squadrons, stations and the [[Air Force Academy (India)|Air Force Academy]]. During the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]], he successfully conducted uninterrupted operations from one of the most forward airfields, which was regularly attacked by the [[Pakistan Air Force]]. This was due to his meticulous planning.

As the Commandant of the Air Force Academy at [[Dundigal]], he expanded the facilities to cater for the training of ground duty officers. Flying activity at the base was successfully reoriented for advance training on jet aircraft and a safety record was achieved during his tenure. On completion of a [[Royal College of Defence Studies]] course in [[England]] in 1976, he was appointed Senior Air Staff officer of a major air command. Under his direction, the operational effectiveness of the forces in the command increased greatly. With his wide experience of fighter flying, he was able to conduct various air exercises which simulated realistic battle conditions.

In 1983, he also served as the Chairman of [[Hindustan Aeronautics Limited]].<ref name="India Today">{{cite news |last= |first= |date=29 April 2012|title=Taliban threat from Af-Pak real: Air Force chief|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/south/story/taliban-threat-from-af-pak-region-real-air-chief-marshal-nak-browne-100537-2012-04-28|newspaper=India Today|access-date= 24 December 2024}}</ref>

He died suddenly while still serving, on 1 July 1985.

The Katre House in [[The Air Force School]] (Subroto Park) was named after him.

The Air Force Association, Karnataka Branch, hosts an annual Air Chief Marshal L.M. Katre Memorial Lecture in Bangalore. The 16th edition of this lecture was given in August 2025 by Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, PVSM, AVSM.

==Military honours and awards==

{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="4"|[[File:Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|105px]] [[File:Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|105px]] [[File:India General Service Medal 1947.svg|105px]]
|-
|[[File:IND Samar Seva Star Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Paschimi Star Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Raksha Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Sangram Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|-
|[[File:IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND Videsh Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:Indian Independence medal 1947.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 25th Anniversary Independence medal.svg|105px]]
|-
|[[File:IND 30 Years Long Service Ribbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|105px]]
|[[File:Ribbon - War Medal.png|104px]]
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|colspan="1"|[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|colspan="2"|[[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|colspan= "1" style="text-align:center;"| [[General Service Medal 1947|General Service Medal]]
|-
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Samar Seva Star]]
|[[Paschimi Star]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Raksha Medal]]
|[[Sangram Medal]]
|-
|[[Sainya Seva Medal]]
|[[Videsh Seva Medal]]
|[[Indian Independence Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|25th Anniversary of Independence Medal]]
|-
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|30 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|20 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|9 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[War Medal 1939–1945]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Dilbagh Singh]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Chief of the Air Staff (India)]] |years=1984–1985}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Denis La Fontaine]]}}
{{s-bef| before = J. D. Aquino}}
{{s-ttl| title = [[Commandant of the Air Force Academy]] | years = 1972 - 1975}}
{{s-aft|after= H. R. Chitnis}}
{{end}}
{{Chief_of_the_Air_Staff_(India)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Katre, Lakshman}}
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:1985 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian Air Force air marshals]]
[[Category:Indian military aviators]]
[[Category:Chiefs of the Air Staff (India)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]]
[[Category:Commandants of the Air Force Academy (India)]]
[[Category:The Doon School alumni]]

Lakshman Madhav Katre - Revision history

Mongkeydyoyo88 at 22:50, 10 August 2025