New Delhi: Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Air Command, Raghunath Nambiar, retired on Thursday after over 38 years of service.
A Defence Ministry release said that the Air Marshal has been an experimental test pilot and has flown about 42 types of aircraft.
He was awarded Vayu Sena Medal for Gallantry by the President of India for his prominent role in the Kargil Operations.
He was also awarded Bar to the Vayu Sena Medal for flight testing the Light Combat Aircraft in 2002.
The officer was conferred Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2015, Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2019 and appointed as an Honorary ADC to the President of India.
“During his tenure as the AOC-in-C Western Air Command ‘Chinook’ helicopters as well as the potent ‘Apache’ attack helicopters were inducted enhancing the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force,” the release said.