The central government, on September 21, 2021, appointed the ace Air fighter pilot Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari as the next Indian Air Force (IAF) chief. He succeeds Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria who will retire on September 30.
VR Chaudhari is currently the Vice Chief of the Air Staff and has been an ace MiG-29 pilot expert in large MiG-29 fighter jets.
According to the statement released by the Defense Ministry, the government has decided to appoint Air Marshal VR Chaudhari, currently vice chief of the Air Staff, as the next chief of staff of the air force. ‘Air.
In a normal procedure, new heads of department are announced 2-3 months in advance in order to allow time for the designated head to familiarize himself with the new role.
The government has decided to appoint Air Marshal VR Chaudhari, PVSM, AVSM, VM currently Vice Chief of the Air Force Staff as the next Air Force Chief of Staff. Current Air Chief of Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC retires on September 30, 2021
– A. Bharat Bhushan Babu (@SpokespersonMoD)
September 21, 2021
Who is Air Marshal VR Chaudhari?
• On December 29, 1982 Chaudhari was appointed a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force Fighter Stream and served almost 39 years.
• During his decades-long career, Chaudhari has flown a wide variety of combat and training aircraft with a flight experience of over 3,800 hours.
• As of August 1, 2020, VR Chaudhari was the Chief of Western Air Command before assuming his duties as Vice Chief of the Air Staff on July 1, 2021.
• Chaudhari is an alumnus of the National Defense Academy (NDA) and Defense Services Staff College in Wellington.
• As Vice Air Marshal, Chaudhari served as Deputy Commander of the Air Force Academy; Deputy Chief of Staff (personnel officers); Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Operations (Air Defense).
• Chaudhari also held senior positions as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at Air Headquarters. He was also the Senior Air Staff Officer at Eastern Air Command.
Air Marshal VR Chaudhari: Distinctions and medals
During his decades of career, Chaudhari has been honored with-
1. Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM)
2. Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM)
3. Vayu Sena Medal
VR Chaudhari appointed next Chief of IAF: What can be the challenges?VR Chaudhari’s appointment as IAF chief comes at a time when the Indian Air Force has expanded its fleet and faced difficult challenges on the eastern and western borders. While Pakistan has always been a threat to the country, recent developments with China have also become a serious concern for India. Amid the clash between Indian Ladakh and China, the Indian Air Force had deployed its frontline fighter jets such as the Sukhoi 30 MKI, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar aircraft to major air bases in eastern Ladakh and near the Line of Control (LOC). |
New appointments in sight for Indian Navy and Army
The appointment of VR Chaudhari marks the beginning of the current line change of department heads. Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh is expected to retire at the end of November 2021 while Army Chief Manoj Naravane is on duty until April 2022.
