By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI:One day Conference on HAL supported airborne platforms and systems was held at Headquarters, Western Air Command, Subroto Park, New Delhi on Friday.
The conference was co-chaired by Shri T Suvarna Raju, Chairman & Managing Director, HAL and Air Marshal SB Deo PVSM AVSM VM VSM ADC, Air Officer Commanding- in-Chief, WAC. Heads of all HAL Divisions and Senior Operational and Maintenance Staff Officers at HQ WAC attended the Conference. Issues relating to Quality, Reliability, Production, Field Support, Supply Chain Management, Ground Support Equipment etc affecting operational exploitation of the HAL supplied assets in WAC, were deliberated during the conference.
Meanwhile, in another development, Air Marshal NJS Dhillon AVSM takes over as Senior Air Staff Officer, Western Air Command, from Air Marshal B Suresh AVSM VM, who assumes appointment of Air Officer-in-Charge Personnel at Air Headquarters.
Air Marshal NJS Dhillon AVSM is a graduate of National Defence Academy, Defence Service Staff College, and National Defence College. He was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force in Dec 81. He has over 3700 hours accident free flying to his credit including 3100 hrs on all variants of MiG-21 aircraft.
He topped the Fighter Strike Leader Course at TACDE and also served as Directing Staff there as of Head of Training and Deputy Commandant. He has commanded a MiG-21 Sqn and has been the Chief Operational Officer of a premier flying base. In addition to Commanding an Operational fighter base, he also Commanded a helicopter base in DR Congo as part of UN Peace Keeping Mission. He also held the appointment of Principal Director Air Defence at Air HQ and Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Inspection) at Air HQ. Prior to his present appointment, he was Air Defence Commander HQ SAC.
He was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in the year 2013. He is married to Mrs Simmar Dhillon and they have a son and daughter.
Air Marshal B Suresh AVSM VM assumes charge as Air Officer-in-Charge Personnel (AOP) at Air Headquarters . A graduate of the ‘Rashtriya Indian Military College’, Dehradun and ‘National Defence Academy’ Kharakvasla, the Air Marshal was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force on 13 Dec 1980.
He is a meritorious graduate of the ‘Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment’ (TACDE), a graduate of the ‘Defence Services Staff College’ Wellington and a post graduate from Cranfield University, Shrivenham UK. He commanded No.2 Squadron – The Winged Arrows – as a Wing Commander, TACDE as a Group Captain and a strategic fighter base as an Air Commodore. He is a highly experienced fighter pilot who has flown a variety of fighter aircraft and helicopters.
He has held a number of staff appointments that include Joint Director and Director (Air Staff Inspection), Director Operations (Joint Planning), Directing Staff (TACDE), Air Assistant to Chief of Air Staff, Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Air Defence) and Senior Air Staff Officer, Western Air Command.
He is a recipient of two AOC-in-C’s commendations, the ‘Vayu Sena Medal’ and the ‘Ati Vishist Seva Medal’.
Air Mshl B Suresh is married to Mrs Radha Suresh and they have a son and a daughter. He has been keen follower of sports. His other interests include reading and music.
