Former IAF Chief La Fontaine Passes Away

Air Chief Marshal DA La Fontaine, chief of the Indian Air Force between 1985-88 passed away early today at his farmhouse in the Southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. He joined the Indian Air Force shortly after the country gained independence in 1947. A fighter pilot, his tenure at the helm saw major type inductions in the IAF, including the Dassault Mirage-2000 and MiG-29. The last time I spoke to Air Chief Marshal La Fontaine was in April 2006 for my special report on the IAF's MiG-25 Foxbat fleet ahead of its phase-out. R.I.P.

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