NEW DELHI (PTI): Air Marshal Amit Dev took charge of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday, an official statement said.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Dev was commissioned in the flying branch of the IAF in December 1982 as a fighter pilot, it said.

"Air Marshal Amit Dev...assumed the appointment of Air Officer Commanding in Chief (AOC-in-C) of Western Air Command on October 1," it noted.

Prior to assuming the current appointment, he held the appointment of AOC-in-C Eastern Air Command, it added.

Dev has about 2,500 hours of operational flying experience on a wide variety of fighter aircraft of the IAF, it stated.

During nearly 39 years of service in the IAF, Dev has held numerous important command and staff appointments, it said.

"He has commanded a MiG-21 Squadron, a frontline Air Base, an Air Defence Direction Centre and an Operational Fighter Base," it added.