Air Marshal Naik appointed as next IAF chief

NEW DELHI: The government on Friday appointed Vice-Chief of the Air Staff, Pradeep Vasant Naik, as the next IAF chief.

Air Marshal Naik will take over from incumbent Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major on May 31 when the latter retires from the IAF service.

With Naik's appointment, the post of the IAF's chief has now gone back to someone having a fighter pilot background. Naik has 3,085 hours of flying fighter aircraft under his belt.

Major was the first helicopter pilot to head the IAF, the world's sixth largest air force. Being the senior most Air Marshal with enough residual service, he was appointed the IAF chief by the government in March 2007.

Naik was commissioned into the Air Force in 1969 as a fighter pilot and during his service spanning nearly 40 years has served in various command staff and instructional appointments.

He took part in the 1971 Indo-Pak war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.