North News
New Delhi, January 1
Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra has taken over as the head of the Indian Air Force’s Western Air Command. The Air Marshal, a seasoned fighter pilot, was commissioned into the Air Force on 6 December 1986. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Pune, the Air Force Test Pilots School in Bangalore, the Air Command and Staff College in the USA, and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK.
With over 3,000 flying hours, Air Marshal Mishra is a Fighter Combat Leader and an experimental Test Pilot. His distinguished service of over 38 years includes holding several key command and staff positions, such as Commanding Officer of a Fighter Squadron, Chief Test Pilot at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), and Air Officer Commanding at two frontline air bases. He has also served in various high-level roles, including Director (Operational Planning and Assessment Group), Principal Director (ASR), Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Projects), and Commandant of ASTE. Before assuming his current role, he was Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations).
A recipient of the ‘Ati Vishisht Seva Medal’ and the ‘Vishisht Seva Medal,’ Air Marshal Mishra succeeds Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha, who retired on 31 December 2024 after more than 39 years of exemplary service in the Indian Air Force.
