New Delhi, Aug. 14 -- Twenty-six officers and airmen of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been conferred with the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry), recognising their exceptional courage in high-stakes missions - including precision strikes on targets inside Pakistan - and their pivotal role in operating the S-400 and other advanced air defence systems that successfully thwarted all planned Pakistani attacks on Indian soil.

The decorated fighter pilots include:

Gp Capt Ankur Hakim

Gp Capt Manav Bhatia

Gp Capt Yasir Faruqi

Gp Capt Varun Bhoj

Gp Capt Anuraj Singh Minhas

Gp Capt Omar Browne, VM

Gp Capt Deepak Chauhan

Gp Capt Kunal Vishwas Shimpi

Wg Cdr Rupak Roy

Wg Cdr Devendra Babasaheb Autade

Wg Cdr Mayank Paliwal

Wg Cdr Deepak Dogra...