Manish Khanna (air marshal)

Air Marshal Manish Khanna, UYSM, AVSM, VM is a serving officer of the Indian Air Force. He is currently serving as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command.^[2] He was previously serving as the Senior Air Staff Officer, South Western Air Command.^[3]

The Air officer is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Air Force Academy, Dundigal. He is also an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, National Defence College, New Delhi and College of Air Warfare, Secunderabad. He also holds a PhD degree in Defence and Strategic Studies.^[4]

He was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 6 December 1986 from the Air Force Academy.^[5] In a career spanning over 37 years, he has more than 4,000 hours of flying experience across various fighter jets and trainers and has held numerous training and staff appointments. He is a highly experienced fighter pilot and has flown various aircraft of the Indian Air Force which includes Mirage 2000, MiG-21 (BIS/T-96), MiG-25, F-5 A/B fighters and Hawk MK-132, Kiran Mk I/II trainers. He is a Category A qualified flying instructor and has rich operational experience in Air Defence, Ground Attack, Strategic Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare.^[4] The Air Marshal's operational tenures include being the Commanding Officer of No. 35 Squadron. As a Group Captain, he served as the Commanding Officer of the Aircrew Examination Board.^[6]

As an Air Commodore, he served as the Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station Bidar,^[7] as the Principal Director (Intelligence)^[8] and Principal Director Personnel Officer (PDPO) and later as the Air Commodore (Air Defence Ops, Weapon System)^[9] at the Air Headquarters, New Delhi.

As an Air Vice Marshal, he served as the Air Officer Commanding, Advance HQ, Western Air Command,^[10] as the Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Personnel Officers at the Air Headquarters, New Delhi. On 5 September 2022, he took over as the commandant of the College of Air Warfare,Secunderabad.^[11]

After being promoted to the rank of Air Marshal on 3 July 2023, he assumed the appointment of Senior Air Staff Officer, South Western Air Command at Gandhinagar.^[3] On 1 June 2025, Air Marshal Manish Khanna took over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command succeeding Air Marshal Balakrishnan Manikantan who moved to Central Air Command as Air Commander.^[12]

During his career, the air marshal has been awarded the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal on Independence Day 2025^[13], the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2016^[14] and the Vayu Sena Medal in 2010.^[15]