# Jeetendra Mishra

Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra, AVSM VSM is an air officer of the Indian Air Force. He currently serves as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Western Air Command. He assumed the office on 1 January 2025. He earlier served as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Ops) at Integrated Defence Staff and the 29th Commandant of the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment which also houses the Indian Air Force Test Pilot School.

## Early life and education

Jeetendra Mishra is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Pune. He also attended Air Command and Staff College, Air University and The Royal College of Defence Studies.

## Career

Jeetendra Mishra was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot on 6 Dec 1986. He has over 3000 hours of flying experience and has flown more than 18 types of fighter & transport aircraft and helicopters.
As a Squadron Leader, he was a part of the team that operationalized LGBs (laser-guided bombs) on the Mirage 2000 aircraft at the start of the Kargil war. These bombs were then used during the famous attacks on Tiger Hill and Muntho Dhalo during Operation Safed Sagar.
A Fighter Combat Leader and an Experimental Test Pilot, he has held the appointments of Senior Test Flying Instructor at the Air Force Test Pilots' School, Chief Test Pilot of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Director (Projects) for Aircraft Upgrades, and the Director (Operational Planning and Assessment Group) at Air Headquarters.
Mishra commanded a MiG-21 squadron in Tezpur and was the Chief Operations Officer of a Su-30MKI operating airbase in Pune.
In Jun 2010 he was also selected to lead the Indian Air Force contingent for multinational air exercise Garuda IV in France.

### Air officer

As an Air Commodore, he commanded the Trishul Air Force Base, Bareilly, one of the Indian Air Force's largest bases which operates Su-30MKI and HAL Dhruv aircraft. He subsequently commanded Air Force Station, Pathankot after the 2016 Pathankot Attack. Later, he held the position of Air Cmde (Air Staff Requirements) at Air Headquarters. He was also the first Commodore Commandant of the HOTS-B Bravehearts unit based in Air Force Station, Bidar.
As Air Vice Marshal, he served as the Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Projects at Air Headquarters before serving as the Commandant of Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment which is also home to the Indian Air Force Test Pilot School in Bengaluru.
After his promotion to Air Marshal in December 2022, he served as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Doctrine, Organisation and Training) at HQ Integrated Defence Staff. He currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations) at HQ Integrated Defence Staff.
The Air Marshal was appointed the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force's Western Air Command on 1 January 2025, succeeding of Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha on his superannuation.

## Honours and decorations

For his service, Jeetendra Mishra was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2013 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2024.
| | Ati Vishisht Seva Medal | Vishisht Seva Medal | |
| Samanya Seva Medal | Special Service Medal | Sainya Seva Medal | 75th Independence Anniversary Medal |
| 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal | 30 Years Long Service Medal | 20 Years Long Service Medal | 9 Years Long Service Medal |