NEW DELHI, July 1:
Ace fighter pilot Air Marshal P P Reddy today took over as the head of the tri-services Integrated Defence Staff, which includes members of all the three services.
“Reddy has taken over as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee,” a Defence Ministry release said.
Commissioned as a fighter pilot in June 1977, Reddy is an alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun and is a Qualified Flying Instructor and a test pilot who has flown 3,600 hours on various types of fighter as well as transport aircraft, including SU-30 MKI.
Meanwhile, Air Marshal Ramesh Rai took over as the chief of Air Force’s Training Command. He was commissioned in the fighter stream in 1976 and has over 4500 hours of flying to his credit and has commanded a Jaguar Squadron.
Air Marshal S Neelakantan also took over as the Director General (Inspection and Safety) where he would be in-charge of ensuring flight safety in the force.
Commissioned as a fighter pilot in 1977, Neelakantan is a Qualified Flying Instructor who has flown over 3,100 hours on various types of fighter aircraft.
He led the Air Force contingent in Congo as part of UN Peace Keeping Mission in 2006-07 and has held various staff and instructional appointments.
The tri-services Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) was set up on the basis of recommendations of a high-level committee formed in the aftermath of the 1999 Kargil war with Pakistan. (AGENCIES)
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