Tipnis is new Air chief

NEW DELHI, Dec 30 (PTI) — Air Marshal Anil Yashwant Tipnis will take over as Chief of the Air Staff tomorrow succeeding Air Chief Marshal S.K. Sareen who retires after a three-year tenure.

Commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot in 1960, Air Marshal Tipnis, (58), has commanded the Mirage-2000 air base, was assistant Chief of Air Staff (inspection) at Air Headquarters and later posted as Air Officer Commanding, Jammu and Kashmir.

On promotion to the rank of Air Marshal, Tipnis became the senior Air Staff Officer, first at Eastern Air Command headquarter, and later at headquarter of Western Air Command before taking over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, in August, 1995.

He was made Vice-Chief of the Air Staff in April, 1997.

Air Marshal Tipnis, who has had the experience of flying almost all aircraft on the inventory of the Indian Air Force, participated in the 1965 war as the youngest member of the only MIG-21 squadron, an official release said here today.