Air Vice Marshal DK Patnaik assumes command of College of Air Warfare

Air Vice Marshal Dilip Kumar Patnaik on Tuesday assumed command of the College of Air Warfare (CAW), Secunderabad.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, the Air Officer was commissioned in Indian Air Force on June 8, 1984, as a fighter pilot.

"He is a Fighter Combat Leader with more than 2,500 hours of accident-free fighter flying on a variety of aircraft, and has more than 800 hours as Mission Commander," an official release said.

An alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College and a graduate of the Higher Air Command Course, the Air Officer has commanded the Air Force Station Ambala.

Patnaik has also held Command of Remotely Pilot Aircraft (RPA) Squadron, an Air Defence Station and has been the Commandant of the Electronic Warfare Range.

The officer has held various important staff appointments at Air Headquarters, Operational Commands as well as at Headquarters Strategic Forces Command.

Before assuming his present appointment as Commandant CAW, Patnaik was overseeing all Air Defence operations of the IAF, at Air HQ as Assistant Chief of Air Staff.

The Air officer has flown many live bombing missions during the Kargil operations, for which he was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) in 1999.