- Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari handed over command on superannuation
New Delhi. 30 September 2024. It was change of guard at Vayu Bhawan, the IAF Head Quarters. Air Chief Marshal AP Singh took over as Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) from Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhary.
The CAS was commissioned on 21 December 1984 in fighter stream of the IAF. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College and National Defence College. He is a Qualified Flying Instructor and an Experimental Test Pilot with more than 5000 hours of service flying on a variety of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft.
His operational tenures include being the Commanding Officer of a MiG-27 Sqn and Air Officer Commanding of an air base. As a test pilot, he led the Mig 29 Upgrade Project Management Team at Moscow, Russia. He was also the Project Director (Flight Test) at National Flight Test Centre looking after flight testing of Tejas. During his career spanning four decades, the CAS has tenanted staff appointments as Air Defence Commander at HQ South Western Air Command and Senior Air Staff Officer at Eastern Air Command. Prior to taking over as Chief of the Air Staff, he was the Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
The CAS is a recipient of Param VishishtSeva Medal (PVSM) and AtiVishishtSeva Medal (AVSM).In his address to the IAF, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said that he is honoured and privileged to have been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the Indian Air Force. Extending greetings to all Air Warriors, Non Combatants (Enrolled), DSC personnel, civilians and their families, CAS expressed absolute faith and confidence in their unstinted support and dedication towards maintaining IAF’s operational capability at an all-time high.
He conveyed sincere gratitude to the vision of air veterans and attributed the success of the IAF to their superior efforts and dynamic leadership. Highlighting certain focus areas towards building a ‘Sashakt, Saksham and an Atmanirbhar’ IAF, he urged the Commanders to adopt a nurturing leadership and enhance cohesion and jointness. He called for attention on the current uncertain geo-political situation and said “It is important that the IAF remains operationally capable, ever vigilant and a credible deterrence.” The CAS exhorted all air warriors to follow traditions of the great service and ensure that together we all “Touch the Sky with Glory”.
Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari handed over command of IndianAirForce today. On the occasion, he paid homage to the departed brave hearts at the National War Memorial in the morning before undertaking the traditional ‘walk through’ at the Vayu Bhawan. He was presented a ceremonial Guard of Honour as the parting salute by the Air Warriors of IAF.
The new Chief has picked up the command of the force at a time when the contemporary security landscape presents multi-faceted challenges, ranging from border disputes and terrorism to cyber threats and regional volatility. To navigate these turbulent times and safeguard national interests, the thought is that India must invest in the modernization of its armed forces, strengthen strategic partnerships, promote indigenous defense production, and adopt an integrated approach to both internal and external security. There is a need for developing a future-ready force structure, stating that joint planning and integrated application of combat power will be essential for future wars. The importance of refining strategy, building robust all-around capabilities and cultivating a flexible mindset to effectively engage in future conflicts, could be some of the tasks ahead for the new IAF Chief.
