Air Vice Marshal Karnik takes over as AOC

Mumbai, Jan 2 (UNI) Air Vice Marshal Ajay Shrinivas Karnik, AVSM, VM today took over as the new Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Maritime Air Operations, from Air Vice Marshal S S Hothi.

AVM Karnik is Fighter Combat Leader and a qualified all-purpose flying instructor. He is a graduate and an alumini of Air War College, Air University, USA.

Commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF in June 1972, he has flown over 3,000 hours on various fighter aircraft including Sukoi-7, MiG-21 Bis and MiG-29.

Prior to this appointment, he was the Senior Air Staff Officer of Southern Air Command (SAC).

The AVM was also senior instructor and head of training team (Air) at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. He has also done the Naval Staff Course at DSSC Wellington, which makes him the right choice as AOC, MAO.

AVM Karnik, who was trained in erstwhile USSR on MiG-29, had commanded a prestigious MiG-29 sqadron. He had also commanded two operational Air Force bases, one in the Western Desert sector and the other on the Western Coastal region of India. Both the Commands were under most testing times during the Kargil operation and Operation Parakram.

AVM Karnik hails from Pune and has been decorated with Ati Visshisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Vayu Sena Medal (VSM) for his distinguished services, an official release said.

UNI