Air Marshal Vinod Patney has taken over as the Vice Chief of Air Staff at Air Headquarters, New Delhi. The lone recipient of the prestigious Sarvottam Yudha Seva Medal of the IAF for his role in operation Safed Sagar during the Kargil conflict, Air Marshal V Patney was commissioned into the IAF in May 1961. He has flown a number of fighter aircraft. Later, he extensively flew Jaguar aircraft when he was posted as Chief Operations Officer of a Jaguar Base.

The Air Officer is a graduate of the Royal Air Force Staff College and a founder member of the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE). He took part in both 1965 and 1971 conflicts and was awarded Vir Chakra in 1965 and was Mentioned-In-Despatches in 1971. The officer was awarded Ati Vishist Seva Medal in January 1996, Param Vishist Seva Medal in Jan 1998 and also appointed as Honorary ADC to the President of India.

Some of the other appointments held by the Air Officer are AOC of Jaguar Base, Director of Systems Applications at Air Headquarters, Air Officer Commanding Jammu & Kashmir, Air Defence Commander, WAC, Senior Air Staff Officer, WAC, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Air Command, and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, WAC.

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Air Marshal Prithvi Singh Brar, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, proceeded on superannuation, after forty years of distinguished service. Commissioned in the IAF on December 15, 1960 as fighter pilot, Air Marshal Brar had held the key appointments of VCAS and AOC-in-C, Eastern Air Command. Air Marshal Brar also had the distinction of being a founder member of the prestigious Tactics Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) and having commanded the famous "Thunderbolts" the aerobatics team of the IAF.

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Air Marshal T M Asthana has taken over as SASO, Central Air Command. He earlier served as Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Personnel Officers) at Air HQrs. Air Vice Marshal A Bhavnani is to succeed him as ACAS (PO).

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Air Marshal PN Bajaj has proceeded on superannuation after 39 years of distinguished service. He was holding the appointment of DG RCPO. Air Marshal PK Ghosh is the new DG, RCPO.

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Air Marshal DC Nigam is the new SMSO Maintenance Command.

Air Marshal Vinod Kumar Verma is the new Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command at Allahabad.

Air Marshal Verma was commissioned in Indian Air force as a Fighter Pilot on May 26, 1962. In 38 years of his service he has the distinction of taking part in both the 1965 and 1971 Indo Pak wars. He has also commanded a premier Fighter Squadron and subsequently an Operational Fighter Base. He has flown various types of front line fighter aircraft, including Jaguar, MIG-29 and the Mirage-2000. Air Marshal Verma was awarded Vayu Sena Medal in 1965 Indo-Pak War. For his meritorious and dedicated services he has been awarded Ati Vishist Seva Medal in 1989 and Param Vishist Seva Medal in 1999.

The Air Officer is a graduate of the National Defence College and has held a number of prestigious command and staff appointments. He was one of the founder members of the prestigious Tactical Air Combat Development Establishments (TACDE) of the Indian Air Force where he has served as Commandant and is now the first Commodore Commandant. He was also the Air Officer Commanding of Halwara Air Base, one of the frontline operational bases of Northern India. He was the Air Advisor to the Indian High Commissioner in United Kingdom. He was also the Director of Personnel (Officers) at Air Headquarters and later took over as Air Officer-in-Charge (Personnel). He has been the Senior Air Staff Officer of the Central Air Command at Allahabad since October 1999.

- PIB (DW)

pix: Capt A K Bhattacharyya