VR Chaudhari to become IAF's next Chief of Air Staff
Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari is to be appointed as the next Chief of Air Staff, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. Chaudhari, who is currently the Vice Chief of Air Staff, will succeed Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, who will be retiring from service on September 30. Chaudhari was elevated to the post of Vice Chief earlier this July. Here are more details.
Who is VR Chaudhari?
Air Marshal VR Chaudhari was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Air Force in 1982. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Defence Services Staff College. He has a flying experience of over 3,800 hours on a wide variety of fighter and trainer aircraft. This includes operational flying on MiG-21, MiG-23 MF, MiG-29, and Su-30 MKI fighter jets.
Chaudhari served in many important positions
In his career spanning nearly 38 years, Air Marshal Chaudhari held many important positions. He served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the Western Air Command, which was entrusted with the security of the country's air space in the sensitive Ladakh sector. He was the commanding officer of a frontline fighter squadron and has also commanded a frontline fighter base.
RKS Bhadauria was appointed IAF chief in 2019
Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria has been serving as the IAF chief since 2019. He has been honored with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and Vayu Sena Medal. He had completed his Masters in Defense Studies from Command and Staff College, Bangladesh. He was commissioned in the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on June 15, 1980.
