Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari has been named the next Chief of Air Staff. He will succeed the present IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria in the end of September.
Currently posted as the Vice Chief of Air Staff, the officer was commissioned into the fighting stream and has commanded a MiG 29 squadron and has experience of various types of aircraft including the Su-30 MKI.
Air Marshal Chaudhari has held various important assignments in the past few years, including the post of the Western Air Command chief as Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Air Defence). “The Air Officer has a flying experience of more than 3800 hours on a wide variety of fighter and trainer aircraft, including missions flown during Operation Meghdoot and Operation Safed Sagar,” officials said.
He has also served in the past as the Chief Operation Officer of the Srinagar air force station and was also an Air Advisor to Chief of Air Staff. “The Air Officer has been an Air Force Examiner on several types of fighters and trainer aircraft,” official said.
