Air chief marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik is IAF boss

NEW DELHI: The stewardship of the IAF was handed back to a fighter pilot after a gap of 26 months. Air chief marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik, a distinguished fighter pilot, on Sunday took over as chief of Indian Air Force. He replaces air chief marshal FH Major, who superannuated on Sunday.

Air chief marshal was the first officer from the non-fighter pilot stream to have been handed over the reins of the IAF. He was a helicopter pilot. Air chief marshal Naik has assumed the charge at a time when the IAF is undergoing rapid modernisation and is in the process of acquiring 126 medium multi-role Combat Aircraft, 22 combat helicopters, 15 heavy lift and 197 Light Utility Helicopters for its fleet. With the Force staring at a depletion in the number of fighter aircraft squadrons, the exercise of acquiring the multi-role combat aircraft will have to be expedited.

Born in Nagpur, Air chief marshal Naik was commissioned into the IAF on June 21, 1969 as a fighter pilot. With over 3,000 hours of combat aircraft flying hours under his belt, the 59-year-old alumnus of National Defence Academy, had also participated in 1971 Indo-Pak war and held various command and instructional appointments in his career spanning over 40 years. Before taking over as the air chief, he was the vice-chief of the Air Staff, and also commanded the Allahabad-based Central Air Command.