Major changes have been made in the Indian Army amid the tension after the Pahalgam attack. Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor (PVSM, AVSM, VM) took over as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the South Western Air Command (SWAC) on Thursday (May 1). He was given a guard of honour at the SWAC headquarters in Gandhinagar. He will replace Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari PVSM AVSM VM, who has taken over as the Deputy Chief of the Air Force.
Let us tell you that PVSM, AVSM, and VM are honorary medals given in the Indian Armed Forces. PVSM stands for Param Vishisht Seva Medal, AVSM for Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and VM for Air Force Medal. These medals are given for distinguished service and courage.
Who Is Air Officer Commanding-In-Chief Nagesh Kapoor?
The Air Marshal graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA) in December 1985 and was commissioned into the IAF on December 6 1986. He is a highly experienced fighter pilot and a qualified flight instructor. He has flown all types of Mig-21 and Mig-29 and has over 3400 flying hours to his credit. He is also an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College and the National Defence College.
During his illustrious career, he has held several field and staff appointments. His tenures include commanding officer of a fighter squadron in the central sector, station commander of a flying base in the western sector, and air officer commanding a premier air base.
Held Several Important Appointments
He has also had instructional tenures as Directing Staff at the Defence Services Staff College and Chief Instructor (Flying) at the Air Force Academy, during which he played a key role in the induction and operationalisation of the PC-7 Mk II aircraft in the Indian Air Force. He has also served as Defence Attache (military diplomat) in Pakistan.
Awarded With Several Medals
His senior staff appointments include Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Strategy) at Air Force Headquarters, Air Defence Commander at South Western Air Command, Senior Air Force Officer at Headquarters Central Air Command and Air Officer-in-Charge Personnel at Air Force Headquarters. Before taking over as AOC-in-C, SWAC, the Air Marshal was the Training Command. For his distinguished service, the Air Marshal was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2008, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2022 and Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2025.
