NEW DELHI: Government of India has decided to appoint Air Marshal V R Chaudhari, PVSM, AVSM, VM, presently Vice Chief of Air Staff, as the next Chief of the Air Staff after the retirement of Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC on 30th September, 2021.
He has earlier served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the Western Air Command.
Government has decided to appoint Air Marshal V R Chaudhari, PVSM, AVSM, VM presently Vice Chief of Air Staff as the next Chief of Air Staff. Current Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC retires from Service on 30th Sep 2021
— A. Bharat Bhushan Babu (@SpokespersonMoD) September 21, 2021
Air Marshal Chaudhari, PVSM, AVSM, VM, 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.
This Air Officer is decorated with PVSM, AVSM, VM.
Air Marshal Chaudhari is an alumnus of National Defence Academy. He is also a graduate of Defence Services Staff College.[7]
Air Marshal Chaudhari was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot on 29 December 1982. He is a qualified flight instructor, and Instrument Rating Instructor and examiner. He has a flying experience of over 3800 hours on various fighter aircraft including MiG-21, MiG-23MF, MiG-29 and Su-30MKI.
He has held various field positions including commanding a Mig-29 Squadron, commanding a forward base, and later commanding Air Force Station Pune. He has served as an instructor at DSSC Wellington as well as DSCSC at Lusaka, Zambia. He and has held the position of chief operations officer at Air Force Station Srinagar. His other appointments include Deputy Commandant at Dundigal Air Force Academy, and Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Air Defence).
He served as Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Personnel Officers) and later as Deputy Chief of Air Staff at air headquarters, VayuSena Bhawan in New Delhi. He also served as Senior Air Staff Officer at Eastern Air Command from October 2019 to July 2020.
He will become 27th Chief of the Air Staff after the retirement of Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria on 30 September, 2021.
During his career,Air Marshal Chaudhari has been awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2004, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2015 and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2021 for his service.
