Squadron Leader Ajjamada Boppayya Devayya

Some Lesser Known Facts About Squadron Leader Ajjamada Boppayya Devayya

• According to Ajjamada Boppayya’s friends and family, he aspired to become a pilot in the Indian Air Force since his childhood.

• After completing his formal education, he joined the Royal Air Force College in Cranwell, the United Kingdom, where he was awarded for being one of the best students.

• In November 1954, after completing his military training, he joined the IAF as a Flying Officer. Following this, he attended the Pilot Attack Instructors Flight course, which he passed with flying colours and received an instructor grading. He was part of the 64th pilot course.

  

• On 6 November 1959, Ajjamada Boppayya Devayya was promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant following which he was posted to the Air Force Flying College (AFFC) in Dundigal, Andhra Pradesh (now in Telangana), as a fighter aircraft pilot instructor. He was one of the few fighter pilots to become an instructor in just five years of service.

  

• He was posted to the 1st Squadron in Adampur, Punjab, a few months before the outbreak of the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war.

• On 7 September 1965, his squadron, led by Group Captain Om Prakash Taneja, was tasked with launching an air raid at the strategically important Pakistani Air Force Bose in Sargodha.

  

• Initially, he was asked not to join the attacking fleet and was placed on standby. However, after requesting, he was later allowed to join the fleet.

• Devayya joined his squadron, flying a Dassault Mystere IVA ground attack fighter jet. He successfully destroyed numerous Pakistani aircraft, including American-built Lockheed F-104 Starfighters and North American F-86 Sabres. His wing also targeted and destroyed several fuel and ammunition dumps, missile hangars, and air traffic control buildings.

  

• To avoid the risk of being detected by the Pakistani radars, Devayya was instructed by his commanding officer, Taneja, to land and take off from the Adampur Air Base without runway lights. He also asked him to maintain “radio silence” once they were in the enemy airspace.

• After conducting a 90-hour raid on Pakistan, Taneja and his wingmates returned to Adampur Air Base. However, Devayya did not return. Initially, he was declared as Missing In Action (MIA) and was later declared as Killed In Action (KIA).

• His name was then mentioned in dispatch and was not awarded a medal.

• As per IAF sources, the Air Force had no idea about what had happened to Devayya and his disappearance remained a mystery till 1979.

• In 1979, a British journalist published a book titled “Battle for Pakistan: The Air War of 1965” in which he recounted an interview with a Pakistan Air Force pilot named Hussain. He claimed that he shot and damaged the Mystere aircraft piloted by Devayya.

• He also stated that a dogfight (air battle) occurred between them, during which Devayya, despite flying in a badly damaged aircraft, managed to attack and destroy Hussian’s F-104 Starfighter jet. Hussain, however, managed to eject from his jet and survived. In his book, the journalist exclaimed,
  

  Devayya opened his 30mm cannon and fired at point-blank range at F-104 and therefore damaging the aircraft. Amjad Hussain was forced to eject at a low level but Devayya was not able to eject due to its damaged Mystère and therefore the aircraft crashed.”

• Hussain also revealed that Devayya could not eject from the aircraft because it was badly damaged, and he crashed in Pakistan near the Kot Naka village. The villagers later found his body “almost intact” and buried it nearby.

• In 1988, the Indian Air Force (IAF) issued a gazette notification in which it was stated that Devaiyya, after 23 years of death, would be awarded the Mahavir Chakra. He is the first and only IAF personnel to receive this award after death.

• Later, the Department of Sainik Welfare and Resettlement near the DC office in his hometown was named Sqn Ldr AB Devayya in his honour.

• On 24 January 2025, his character was portrayed by actor Veer Pahariya in the Hindi film Sky Force. Actress Sara Ali Khan portrayed the role of his wife.