Air Chief arriving in City

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Air Chief Marshal P V Naik, the Chief of Air Staff, is arriving in the city on a two-day official visit on Thursday. The Air Chief will address a conference of the commanders of the Southern Air Command during his visit. This would be also his farewell visit to the SAC as he is retiring on July 31.The Air Chief will address the commanders on Friday on the global security scenario in general and its implications on the southern peninsula. The southern peninsula has gained in strategic importance in recent years which has led the IAF to focus more on the south. All commanders of the SAC stations and wings will attend the conference, a Defence spokesperson said.P V Naik is stepping down after a career spanning 40 years with vast experience in various aircraft. He is a qualified flying instructor with vast instructional experience and a Fighter Combat Leader from the prestigious Tactiocs and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE). Air Marshal Sumit Mukerji, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, SAC, will receive the Air Chief and his wife Madhubala Naik at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport on Thursday.