Jammu: Air Commodore Ajay Singh Pathania, known for his instrumental role in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief helicopter operations, Wednesday took over as the chief of the air force station here.
He took over the command of the station as air officer commanding from Air Commodore S K Mishra at a ceremonial parade by the Air Warriors here, a Defence public relations officer (PRO) said.
Pathania had led humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) helicopter operations between 2012 and 2015 in the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Uttarakhand regions, he said.
He was also instrumental during rescue and relief operations after the Nepal earthquake as well as in the Yemen evacuation in 2015, the PRO said.
Pathania was the air officer commanding and president of the Air Force Selection Board at Kolkata and Dehradun before taking over as the commanding officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) station in Jammu, he said.
He was commissioned into the IAF in 1986 and is an experienced flying instructor. The air commodore is a graduate of the Defence Service Staff College and has about 6000 hrs of flying on helicopters and trainer aircraft in India and abroad, the PRO said.
Pathania has been flight commander of three types of helicopters and has commanded two types of helicopter units, including Chetak and Cheetah, in the eastern sector of the country and MI-25 in UN Mission in DRC Congo, he said.
He has also been the chief operational officer of a premier IAF base and also commanded a TAC in the eastern sector.The air force officer has also served as personal and operational staff at the air headquarters, the PRO said.
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