BENGALURU: Wing Commander (Retd) Dr K Ramchand, Founder Director of CABS, DRDO, Bengaluru, passed away on Friday morning. Dr Ramchand (82) lead the team at DRDO for the indigenous design and development of the AEW&C aircraft.
The aircraft was inducted into the Indian Air Force [IAF] in 2017 and was flown during the air strike on Balakot in 2019, providing air cover to Mirage 2000 fighter jets.
He was the principal author of the book ‘The Incredible Journey of the Indian AWACS’, released at Aero India, 2019. A recipient of the ‘Distinguished Alumni Award’ of IISc, Dr Ramchand held a Masters Degree and PhD at the Department of Aerospace Engineering, IISc.
During his tenure lasting over two decades in the IAF, Dr Ramchand served in COM Squadron and was a member of the crew that flew several VIPs. An avid golfer, he’s survived by his wife Meera Ramchand, and daughters Srilatha and Ramya. His mortal remains will be cremated with military honours at the Wilson Garden Crematorium on Monday morning.