New Delhi, March 1 (NationPress) Air Commodore B.S. Vijay Rao has taken over as the Air Officer Commanding of the Base Repair Depot in Palam, New Delhi, on Sunday, as confirmed by a Defence Ministry official.

Commissioned into the Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) Branch of the Indian Air Force on 27 November 1995, Air Commodore Vijay Rao boasts more than three decades of exemplary service, as stated by the Ministry official.

He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and an Executive MBA, and is an alumnus of the esteemed National Defence College and the Army War College.

Throughout his career, he has undertaken significant roles in field, staff, and project management, serving as the Chief Engineering Officer at a premier base.

He has also held crucial positions at Air Headquarters in the Operations, Maintenance, and Plans branches, contributing to the modernization, acquisition, and sustainment initiatives of the Indian Air Force.

The Air Officer has represented the Indian Air Force in various professional assignments overseas and has been involved in major upgrade and technology transfer programs with international aerospace organizations.

He has been honored with the Presidential Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) for his distinguished service, as mentioned in the statement.

In another update, the Headquarters Southern Air Command (SAC) successfully conducted a high-tempo joint maritime exercise titled “Kalari Leap” in the Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands, alongside the Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD) and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on February 24.

“Air operations played a vital role in the exercise, utilizing assets such as the An-32, Mi-17 V5, and Su-30MKI. The Indian Coast Guard deployed its ships and Gemini boats, while its Dornier 228 aircraft was utilized for search and rescue missions, as well as for guiding the fighters during maritime strikes,” the statement read.

The Southern Air Command Headquarters (HQ SAC) acknowledged the support from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Agatti, and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep (UTLA) Administration, for their proactive assistance and seamless facilitation in the successful execution of the “Kalari Leap” exercise.

A Mass Casualty Management drill was also carried out by HQ SAC on February 24 as part of the exercise. “Simulated battle casualties were evacuated from Agatti to Thiruvananthapuram using an An-32, modified for air ambulance operations,” a social media post stated.

Upon arrival in Thiruvananthapuram, casualties underwent triage, treatment, and were evacuated to nearby military and civilian hospitals, according to the report.