The Hindu : National : Gokhale is Air Vice-Chief

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Thursday, Nov 02, 2006
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Gokhale is Air Vice-Chief

Special Correspondent

Succeeds Bhavnani, who has retired

NEW DELHI: Air Marshal Bhushan Nilkanth Gokhale on Wednesday took over as the Vice-Chief of the Air Staff at Air Headquarters. He succeeds Air Marshal Ajit Bhavnani, who retired after four decades of distinguished service.

Commissioned into the Indian Air Force in June 1968 in the fighter stream, Air Marshal Gokhale has flown over 3,500 hours on a variety of combat and trainer aircraft. He has seen active operations during the 1971 India-Pakistan hostilities and is a qualified flying instructor and flight combat leader from the prestigious Tactics and Combat Development Establishment, an official release said.

Air Marshal Gokhale has held a variety of operational and staff appointments. His operational assignments include command of a frontline fighter squadron, Chief Operations Officer of an operational base and command of a premier air base. The staff appointments include tenure as Directing Staff at the Defence Services Staff College and as an Inspector at the Directorate of Air Staff Inspection, Air Headquarters. He is a recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Vayu Sena Medal.

The Air Marshal has had assignments abroad as flying instructor in Iraq and as the Indian defence attaché, Cairo. He has functioned as Air Adviser to Chief of the Air Staff, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operations) and Senior Air Staff Officer of Training Command. As Assistant Chief of Air Staff for Operations, the Air Marshal had played an important role in planning and execution of air operations, including during Operation Parakram. Prior to his present assignment, Air Marshal Gokhale was Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Training Command.

The other appointments made on Wednesday were: Air Marshal G.S. Chaudhry, AVSM, VSM taking over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Training Command, and Air Marshal P.V. Naik, VSM taking charge as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Air Command, the release said.

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