Article Posted on : - Jun 03, 2015

NEW DELHI (PTI): Air Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, a Kargil war veteran, has taken over as the Vice Chief of Indian Air Force.

He succeeds Air Marshal Ravi Kant Sharma who demitted the office on 31st May, after 40 years of service in the IAF.

Dhanoa was commissioned in the IAF in June 1978 as a fighter pilot.

He is an alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College, the National Defence Academy and the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.

Dhanoa is a Qualified Flying Instructor and has flown various types of fighter aircraft in his career.

During the Kargil operations, he commanded a fighter squadron and himself flew numerous night-strike missions in the mountainous terrain, an IAF statement said.

He has the distinction of having held a number of the important operational appointments, including Station Commander of a fighter base and leader of an Indian Military Training Team abroad.

He has also served as Chief Instructor (Air) at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington in Tamil Nadu, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Intelligence) at Air Headquarters and Senior Air Staff Officer of two operational Commands.

Prior to being appointed as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, the Air Marshal was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the South Western Air Command.