Air Marshal PV Naik is the new vice chief of air staff
03 Jan 2008
New Delhi: Air Marshal PV Naik, VSM, ADC has taken over as vice chief of air staff at the Indian Air Force Headquarters in New Delhi.
Air Marshal Naik, born on 22 Jul 1949 at Nagpur, is a graduate of Sainik School Satara, the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Staff College and the National Defence College.
He was commissioned in the fighter stream of the air force on 21 Jun 1969. In a distinguished career of 38 years with the air force, he has flown all MiG-21 variants and MiG-23-BNs.
He is also a qualified flying instructor and a fighter combat leader.
He has held many important command and staff appointments, including command of a MiG-21 Bis squadron at Pathankot, as chief operations officer at AF Station Bareilly, Directing Staff at the TACDE and the Air Combat Development Establishment as well as the Defence Services Staff College, as battalion commander at the National Defence Academy, Air-I of Western Air Command and air defence commander of South Western Air Command.
He has commanded two bases, AF Station Srinagar, an operational base in the Kashmir Valley and AF Station Bidar, Karnataka.
He has functioned as senior air staff officer at the Western Air Command and air officer commanding-in-chief of the Central Air Command prior to taking over as the vice chief of air staff at the Air Headquarters.
For distinguished service Air Marshal Naik was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 Jan 2003 and also appointed honorary ADC to the Hon'ble President of India in July 2007.
