Kashmir's Hilal Ahmad Rather first IAF officer to fly, weaponise Rafale

Hilal studied in Sainik School in Nagrota town of Jammu district. He was commissioned in IAF as a fighter pilot on December 17, 1988

Air commodore Hilal Ahmad Rather has become a buzz name in Kashmir overnight. Hilal saw off the first batch of Rafale jets which took off from France to India on Monday. Among other things, he has also been associated with the weaponisation of the Rafale aircraft for acclamitisation to Indian requirements.

Hilal is presently India's Air Attache in France.

The career details of this officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) read like the decoration scroll of the best flying officer anywhere in the world.

Born in the south Kashmir's Anantnag district to middle class parents, Hilal's father, late Mohammad