Air Commodore Retd Sattar Alvi

Fl. Lt (Later Air Cdre) Sattar Alvi

When the Yom Kippur war broke out, Alvi was one of the Pakistan Air Force fighter pilots who volunteered to go to the Middle East in order to support Egypt and Syria. By the time they arrived, however, Egypt and Israel had already concluded a ceasefire and only Syria remained in an active state of war against Israel.Alvi, who was serving at a rank of Flight Lieutenant in 1973, joined the Syrian Air Force along with future-Air Chief Marshal of the Pakistan Air Force, Nur Khan. The PAF fighter pilots flew in a formation using the call-sign "Shahbaz" under Air Marshal Nur Khan (Late).

On 26 April, 1974, PAF fighter pilot Flight Lieutenant Sattar Alvi on deputation to No. 67A Squadron, Syrian Air Force (SAF) was flying a SAF MiG-21F-13 Fishbed (Serial No. 1863) out of Dumayr Air Base, Syria in an eight-ship formation with a fellow PAF pilot and the Flight Leader, Squadron Leader Arif Manzoor.

Alvi came to a worldwide international notice when he had shot down the IAF's Mirage IIICJ flown by Captain M. Lutz. On 26 April 1974, while on an aerial patrol, the PAF fighter pilots team including, Flight Lieutenant Captain Sattar Alvi, Squadron Leader Major Saleem Metla and the formation's leader Squadron Leader Major Arif Manzoor. The Shahbaz faced an encounter over Golan Heights between a Mig-21 of the Syrian Air Force and two Israeli Mirages.

While leading a Mig-21 patrol along the border, Squadron Leader Arif Manzoor apprised of the presence of two Israeli Phantom aircraft and was cautioned that these could be decoys while two other fast tracks approaching from the opposite direction might be the real threat. The latter turned out to be Mirages and a moment later Alvi, in Arif’s formation saw the No 2 Mirage breaking towards him.All this time, heavy radio jamming by Israeli ground stations was making things difficult but the Pakistani pilots were used to such tactics. Sattar forced the Israeli pair into close combat, firing his K-13 missile at the first opportunity. The Israeli wingman’s Mirage exploded into a ball of fire, while the leader quickly disengaged.

After the engagements, Flight Lieutenant Captain Sattar Alvi and Shahbaz formation leader Squadron Leader Major Arif Manzoor were awarded two of Syria’s highest decorations for gallantry, the Wisaam Faris and Wisaam Shuja’at in 1973 by the President of Syria Hafez al-Assad in a public ceremony. The government of Pakistan also awarded the PAF fight pilot Sitara-e-Jur’at each. The prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto personally met each of them and awarded the gallantry awards in a public ceremonies.

Courtesy: PAF Falcons

Posted in: 67A Squadron,Air Marshal Nur Khan,Captain M. Lutz. Major Saleem Metla,Dumayr Air Base,Fishbed Serial No. 1863,Pakistan Air Force,SAF MiG-21F-13,Squadron Leader Arif Manzoor,Syrian Air Force