Profile

Air Marshal SS Soman PVSM AVSM VM retired as Air Officer Commanding in Chief of Western Air Command, IAF in 2015.  He was commissioned in the Flying Branch of the Indian Air Force in December 1976 and has more than 3400 hours of flying on fighter aircraft.

Air Marshal Soman has held many appointments which include Commanding Officer of a Fighter Squadron, Chief Flying Instructor at Flying Instructors School (FIS), Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Srinagar during Operation Parakram and Air Officer Commanding at a premier IAF base. He has served as Asst Defence Adviser at the High Commission of India, Dhaka. He has also served as Director Operations (Air Defence), Dir Operations (Joint Planning), Director (Intelligence), Principal Director Operations (Space) and Principal Director Flight Safety at Air Headquarters. Before his appointment as Air Officer Commanding in Chief Western Air Command, he has served as Air Defence Commander in WAC and as Senior Air Staff Officer in WAC and SWAC.

Whilst in WAC, he was instrumental in revamping the AD organization and communications in the Northern Areas, operationalising the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) and also helmed WAC during the 2014 Chumar operations.

He is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College and has graduated from Air War College, USA.

The Air Mshl is a recipient of Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vayu Sena Medal.