Balakrishnan new head of Port Blair-based command

The post was earlier held by Lieutenant General Ajai Singh, a fifth-generation army officer, who retired after four decades of military service.

Air Marshal Saju Balakrishnan on Monday took over as the 17th commander-in-chief of the Port Blair-based Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), India’s first tri-service command, the defence ministry said in a statement.

Air Marshal Saju Balakrishnan is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in 1986 (ANI)

The post was earlier held by Lieutenant General Ajai Singh, a fifth-generation army officer, who retired after four decades of military service.

The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) serves as a model for the country’s planned theaterisation of the army, navy, and air force capabilities.

Balakrishnan is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in 1986. “With over 3,200 accident-free fighter flying hours on various variants of MiG-21 and Kiran aircraft, he is an accomplished fighter combat leader,” the statement said.

The air marshal has held various key positions in his illustrious career, including the commanding officer of a MiG-21 Bison squadron, the first commanding officer of an AWACS (airborne warning and control system) squadron, and Air Officer Commanding at the Air Force Station, Jodhpur.

Before assuming Command of ANC, he was the senior air staff officer at the IAF Training Command at Bengaluru.