Prayagraj,

01 May (HS): Air Marshal Balakrishnan Manikantan Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati

Vishisht Seva Medal, Vayu Sena Medal, assumed the appointment of Air Officer

Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command on Thursday.

Air

Marshal Balakrishnan Manikantan was commissioned in the Indian Air Force on 07

Jun 1986. The Air Marshal is a Helicopter Combat Leader and a type Qualified

Flying Instructor and has more than 5500 hours of flying experience to his

credit. An alumnus of National Defence Academy, he has also done the Defence

Services Staff College, College of Defence Management and National Defence

College.

During

his illustrious career spanning more than 38 years, the Air Marshal has

tenanted a number of significant field and staff appointments. He commanded a

Mi-17 1V Helicopter Unit in Western Air Command and two air bases at Bamrauli

(in Prayagraj) and Leh (in Ladakh). The Air Marshal has held varied staff

appointments at all levels at Command and Air HQ. He was also the SASO at HQ

Eastern Air Command. Prior to assuming the present appointment as AOC-in-C CAC,

the Air Marshal was tenanting the appointment of AOC-in-C SAC.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi