Su-30 pilot battled failure to land safely, gets Shaurya Chakra

With a trainee onboard, a Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft suffered a catastrophic systems failure resulting in the aircraft and its crew experiencing aerodynamic forces and physical stress well beyond normal limits. The pilot-in-command demonstrated exceptional situational awareness and managed to land safely. For this, Squadron Leader Sudhir Kumar was decorated with Shaurya Chakra on Independence Day.