Government has decided to appoint Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, PVSM, AVSM, VM, presently Vice Chief of Air Staff, as the next Chief of the Air Staff , Indian Airforce.
The present chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC will retire on 30th September.
Air Marshal V R Chaudhari, was commissioned into the Fighter stream of Indian Air Force on 29th December 1982 and has held various Command, Staff and Instructional Appointments at various levels including the present one as Vice Chief of Air Staff.
He has a flying experience of more than 3800 hrs on a wide variety of fighter and trainer aircraft, including missions flown during Op-Meghdoot and Op-Safed Sagar.
He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. During his illustrious career in the IAF, the Air Officer has commanded a frontline Fighter Sqn and a Fighter base. As an Air Vice Marshal, he has been Deputy Commandant, Air Force Academy, Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Air Defence) and Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Personnel Officers). He has also held the coveted appointments of Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at Air HQ and Senior Air Staff Officer at Eastern Air Command. Prior to assuming the present appointment, he was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Air Command.
During his tenure as VCAS, he was instrumental in ensuring prompt and optimum operational deployment of assets in proportionate response to the developing situation in Eastern Ladakh. Under his guidance, IAF also effectively contributed towards various HADR and COVID related tasks, both within India and abroad.
