Air
Marshal S Sukumar AVSM VM would take over as the Deputy Chief of Air
Staff at Air headquarters Vayu Bhawan on 01 Dec 2012. He was
commissioned in the Flying Branch on 29 Dec 1976.
The
Air Marshal is a qualified flying instructor and an experimental test
pilot. He has flown over 4000 hrs on 25 types of aircraft and has
flown all types of MIG aircraft in IAF inventory i.e. MIG-21, MIG-23,
MIG-25, MIG-27, MIG-29, Jaguar, Mirage and SU-30 , AN-32, AVRO,
trainer aircraft - Kiran, MK-I , MK-II, HT-2 and HPT-32. He is one
of the few pilots who has also flown F-16, F-18 and the Alpha Jet.
The
Air Marshal has held various command and staff appointments which
include Command of an Operational base, AOC, Adv HQ SWAC, Chief Test
Pilot at Aircraft System Testing Establishment, Bangalore, ACAS(PO),
Principal Director of Air Staff Requirements.
A
post graduate from Defence Services Staff College, Wellington with
Directing Staff grading, he is a M Phil in Strategic Studies from
Army War College MHOW and M Phil in Security Studies from National
Defence College.
For
his distinguished service he was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2003
and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2012.
He
is married to Dr Sadhana Sukumar. They have two sons who are
pursuing higher studies.
