Air Vice Marshal Kuppuswamier Chidambaram, (3531), Logistics, was commissioned in the Air Force in 1948. He has held a number of important appointments with distinction, including the command of four different Equipment Depots. His contribution as Officer Commanding of an Equipment Depot during Indo-Pak Conflict, 1971, was specially significant. Despite the limited resources at his disposal, he provided an extremely effective logistic support to all the operating units. It was due to his initiative and innovative approach that tedious problems like unlinked invoices worth crores of rupees and long outstanding claims at the Depot, were solved successfully. The drill laid down by him in this respect was subsequently adopted by all other Depots. It was at his instance that his staff identified and recovered a large number of tools and test equipment from obsolete aircraft systems which resulted in saving considerable amount of foreign exchange.

In 1975, he was posted as Director of Stores. By his professional skill and excellent organising ability, he brought about marked improvement in the supply position of flying clothing and clothing for airmen, both of which were in short supply. In 1977, as the Air Force Member of the Inter Ministerial Special Surplus Disposal Committee, he was responsible for the successful disposal of a large variety of phased out aircraft aero-engines and spares, which had been defying solution for a number of years. In 1978, he was appointed Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Logistics). In that capacity, he has controlled and directed the activities of six Directorates and, undeterred by the shortfall in resources, he forged them into an efficient and effective organisation spanning the wide spectrum of operation of trainer aircraft, supply of aviation fuels, mechanical transport, maintenance planning, inspection and administration.

Air Vice Marshal Kuppuswamier Chidambaram (Retd) has rendered distinguished service of the most exceptional order.

Air Marshal Chandrakant Shridhar Naik AVSM VSM (3499) Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in 1947. He completed Post Graduate Course in Aircraft design in the College of Aeronautics in the United Kingdom. He also graduated from the National Defence College.

During his long service career, he has held various important assignments with distinction. While on deputation with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, he was intimately associated with the setting up a viable flight test organisation. He headed a team of Indian engineers to a foreign country for collaboration in a joint aeronautical engineering development project. He commanded an aircraft Base Repair Depot and, subsequently, the largest Air Force Maintenance Base which provided maintenance support to our fleet of operational aircraft during Indo-Pak Conflict, 1971. As Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Engineering) at Air Headquarters, he was responsible for successfully tackling serious unserviceability problems of a large number of grounded aircraft and for introducing various modifications for safe flying which helped in better utilisation of all types of aircraft with the available resources. In his present appointment of Air Officer in-charge Maintenance, he has ensured productivity with safety. He reorganised the Maintenance Branch on a functional basis to bring about maximum and effective utilisation of the limited inventory of aircraft spares and maintenance equipment and introduced computerised management information system which has considerably improved the serviceability and operational capability of aircraft and other systems. For his distinguished performance in his earlier career, he was awarded Vishisht Seva Medal in 1964 and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in December 1971.

Air Marshal Chandrakant Shridhar Naik has thus rendered distinguished service of the most exceptional order.

Air Marshal Lakshman Madhav Katre AVSM and Bar (3117) Flying (Pilot), was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in 1945. He successfully completed a course from Royal College of Defence Studies in England.

During his long service career, he has commanded operational squadrons and stations and has held with distinction various important assignments including those of Commandant of the Air Force Academy at Dundigal, Senior Air Staff Officer and AOC-in-C of important Air Commands. By his outstanding qualities of leadership and administrative and organising ability, he has immensely contributed towards reorientation and rationalisation of training programmes and has considerably improved the operational effectiveness of the formations through effective maintenance and constant serviceability of aircraft fleet. It was also the result of his personal initiative and involvement in improving the reliability of the ageing Hunter aircraft, available with the Operational Conversion Unit, that a number of pilots awaiting operational conversion, have been successfully trained on these aircraft. In 1978, when floods affected large areas of West Bengal and Assam, he personally supervised the relief operation wherein thousands of marooned people were evacuated and rescued and huge quantities of food

supplies were airdropped.

Air Marshal Lakshman Madhav Katre has thus rendered distinguished service of the most exceptional order.