Air Marshal Vibhas Pande on Tuesday assumed charge as the 37th Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the IAF's Maintenance Command headquartered in Nagpur.
Air Marshal Pande succeeded Air Marshal Shashiker Choudhary, who superannuated on May 31 after 38 years of distinguished service in the Indian Air Force (IAF), a defence release said.
The release said Air Marshal Pande was commissioned in the Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) branch of the IAF on August 29, 1984, and is trained on MiG-23 BN and AN-32 aircraft as well as MI-17 helicopters.
As a Flight Engineer, he has flown Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters and has been an Air Force Examiner for rotary wing aircraft, it said.
During a career spanning more than 37 years, the Air Marshal has held positions of senior production engineer at the Base Repair Depot at Ojhar, Nashik; Commanding Officer of Air Armament Inspection Wing, Directing Staff at College of Air Warfare and Command Engineering Officer at headquarters of the Western Air Command, the release said.
He had been the founder Commanding Officer of Central Indigenisation and Manufacturing Depot (CIMD) Nashik and also commanded the Base Repair Depot, Ojhar, it said.
Air Marshal Pande is a recipient of Aiti Vishist Seva Medal and Vishist Seva Medal, the release added.
