Air Vice Marshal Dilip Kumar Patnaik assumed command of the College of Air Warfare (CAW), Secunderabad, on Tuesday.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, the officer was commissioned in the Indian Air Force on June 8, 1984, as a fighter pilot.
Combat leader
He is a fighter combat leader with more than 2,500 hours of accident-free flying on a variety of aircraft, and has more than 800 hours as mission commander.
An alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College and a graduate of the Higher Air Command Course, he has commanded Air Force Station, Ambala, and has held various important staff appointments at air headquarters, operational commands as well as at the headquarters strategic forces command.
Vayu Sena Medal
Before assuming his present office as Commandant CAW, he was overseeing all air defence operations of the IAF as Assistant Chief of Air Staff. He has flown many live bombing missions during the Kargil operations, for which he was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) in 1999.
