NEW DELHI: Air Marshal Sumit Mukerji has taken over as Air Officer-in-charge Personnel at Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhawan) here Thursday.

Air Marshal Sumit Mukerji has replaced Air Marshal VR Iyer who has proceeded to Training Command as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief.

Air Marshal Mukerji was born on 26 Jun 1951 at New Delhi. A product of Sherwood College, Nainital, he graduated from the National Defence Academy in 1970 and was commissioned on 22 Jan 1972. He is a Qualified Flying Instructor (Cat 'A'), a Fighter Combat Leader and a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College. He was also an instructor at the Defence Services Staff College.

He is one of the very few officers of the IAF to have commanded three Operational Fighter Squadrons/Units. His first command was a MiG-29 Squadron, the second a MiG-25 Squadron and the third, the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment of which he is the Commodore Commandant also.

Air Marshal Mukerji is the only pilot in the history of the IAF to have commanded units with the MiG-21, MiG-23U, MiG-25, MiG-27 and MiG-29 aircraft.

He has also commanded an operational air base in the deserts of Western India and has over 3700 hours of flying on fighter aircraft. He was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for Gallantry (peace time) in 1981 and the Vishist Seva Medal for services of a high order in 1997.

He has been the Air Attaché in the Embassy of India, Washington DC and has held staff appointments at Air Headquarters and Ministry of Defence. Prior to his taking over as the Air Officer-in-Charge Personnel, Air Marshal Sumit Mukerji was the Senior Air Staff Officer at Central Air Command, IAF.