Pavel Kutakhov

Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov (Кутахов, Павел Степанович) was Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Air Forces between 1969 and 1984, Chief Marshal of Aviation since 1972, twice Hero of Soviet Union (1943, 1984), Honored Pilot of USSR (1966).

After the Israeli Operation Mole Cricket 19 in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon in 1982, when large numbers of Soviet-built Syrian fighters and surface-to-air missiles were destroyed, Kutakhov travelled to Syria to evaluate the outcome.

Honours and awards

 * Hero of the Soviet Union, twice
 * Order of Lenin, four times
 * Order of the October Revolution
 * Order of the Red Banner, five times
 * Order of Kutuzov, 1st class
 * Order of Alexander Nevsky
 * Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class
 * Order of the Red Star, twice
 * Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR, 3rd class
 * Honoured Military Pilot of the USSR
 * Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Military)