Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne took charge as India's 23rd Chief of the Air Staff

Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne took charge as India's 23rd Chief of the Air Staff on 31 July 2011. He succeeded Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik, who retired from service after a four-decade career. His priorities as IAF chief would include enhancing IAF's operational capabilities, maintaining the modernisation drive of the force and ensuring the welfare of its personnel.

Nick-named Charlie Browne in Air Force circles, Browne is a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College at Albama in the United States. He has trained with the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom on Jaguar aircraft and later commanded a Jaguar squadron.
Browne joined the IAF in 1972. Browne has to his credit an extensive operational, command and staff experience in the IAF. A fighter pilot with a varied operational experience on all kinds of aircraft including Hunters, all variants of the MiG 21s, Jaguars and Sukhoi-30, he has logged about 3,100 hours of flying.

Browne is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and he served as an instructor at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment and the tri-services Defence Services Staff College in Wellington. He is currently appointed as one of the Honorary Aides De Camp to the President of India.

During his 39 years with the IAF, he has held various operational and staff appointments that include Joint Director at the Air War Strategy Cell at the Air Headquarters, Chief Operations Officer and Air Officer Commanding of a SU-30 base, Air-I at the Western Air Command (WAC) and Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Intelligence) at the Air Headquarters.

He established the Indian Defence Wing in Tel Aviv in 1997 and served as the Defence Attache till July 2000. He oversaw lAF's major modernisation programmes in the capacity of Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at the Air Headquarters between 2007 and 2009.

Air Chief Marshal Browne has been honoured with Param Vishist Seva Medal, Ati Vishist Seva Medal, Vayu Sena Medal in the past.