Pavel Kutakhov (marshal)

Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov Кутахов, Павел Степанович
Born	August 3, 1914 Malokirsanovka, Don Voisko Oblast (now Rostov Oblast), Russian Empire
Died	December 3, 1984 (aged 70) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Buried at	Novodevichy Cemetery, (Moscow)
Allegiance	Soviet Union (1935–1984)
Service/branch	Red Army
Years of service	1935–1984
Rank	Chief Marshal of Aviation
Unit	Red Army
Commands held	Soviet Air Force
Battles/wars	Soviet-Finnish War, World War II
Awards	Order of the British Empire Order of Lenin (4) Order of the Red Banner (5) Order of the Red Star (2) Order of Kutuzov Order of October Revolution Order of the Patriotic War Order of Alexander Nevsky Honoured Military Pilot of the USSR

Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov (Russian: 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).^[1]

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 Kutuzov, 1st class
• Order of the Red Banner, five times
• 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)

References

1. "Кутахов Павел Степанович" [Kutakhov Pavel Stepanovich]. www.warheroes.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2015-12-28.