Władysław Turowicz

Who was Władysław Turowicz?

Air Commodore Władysław Józef Marian Turowicz, SP, SK, TP, SQA [MI], SI [MI], usually referred to as Air Cdre. W. J. M. Turowicz, was a prominent and noted Polish Pakistani military scientist and an aeronautical engineer. He is considered as one of the chief architects of the Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan's space program. Turowicz, an eminent rocket scientist and an aeronautical engineer, was the leading and central figure in Pakistan's drive to develop high-tech rocket and missile technology of its own.

Turowicz was the administrator of Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission from 1967 to 1970, and towards the end of his career, he was appointed to the post of Air Marshal of the Pakistan Air Force. He was one of thirty high ranking Polish pilots who served in Pakistan Air Force during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, and is considered one of the pioneers of Pakistan's space program, playing a central role in Pakistan's aviation and aerospace industry.

Turowicz made significant contributions to Pakistan's missile/rocket program as a chief aeronautical engineer and has recently been referred to as the "Rocket-Missile Man of Pakistan" by some of the prominent defense analysts for his work towards the development of ballistic missile and space rocket technology. In Pakistan, he is highly respected as a scientist and noted aeronautical engineer.