Article Posted on : - May 23, 2011

NEW DELHI (BNS): Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, an ace fighter pilot, will be appointed as the next Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

He will succeed Air Chief Marshal P V Naik who is retiring on July 31, 2011, the Defence Ministry said.

Air Marshal NAK Browne, who joined the IAF as a fighter pilot in 1972, has about 3100 hours of flying to his credit. He has flown the Hunters, all variants of MiG-21s, Jaguars and SU-30s.

An alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Pune, he is a Fighter Combat Leader, who has also served as an instructor at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) – a premiere flying establishment of the IAF and the Tri-services Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington.

A graduate of the Air Command and Staff College, Albama, USA, Air Marshal Browne also had the opportunity to train with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the United Kingdom, on Jaguar aircraft.

He then went on to command a Jaguar Squadron subsequently.

During his 38 years of service with the IAF, Air Marshal Browne has held various operational and staff appointments including the Joint Director at Air War Strategy Cell at Air Headquarters, Chief Operations Officer and Air Officer Commanding of a SU-30 base and Air-I at New Delhi based Western Air Command (WAC), according to the Defence Ministry.