V R Chaudhari takes over as IAF chief

Current GK (HP Allied) Defence

His predecessor, Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria, retired on Thursday,
Protection of India’s sovereignty and integrity is to be ensured at any cost, Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari said after taking over as the chief of Indian Air Force (IAF) at the Air Headquarters in Delhi on Thursday. He called upon Defence Minister Rajnath Singh soon after taking charge.
His predecessor, Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria, retired on Thursday,
Before becoming the Vice Chief of the Air Force in July, Chaudhari was commanding the “Sword Arm” of the IAF, as the Western Air Command is called, since it is responsible for parts of the border with Pakistan on the west and China in the north.An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari was commissioned in December 1982 in the fighter stream and has flown over 3,800 hours on multiple fighter and trainer aircraft.
The Air Force said in a statement that he has “tenanted many significant command and staff appointments”, including the command of a MiG-29 Squadron, two Air Force Stations and Western Air Command.He has also held important positions such as the Deputy Chief of Air Staff, Senior Air Staff Officer at HQ Eastern Air Command and Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Air Defence).He was a “pioneer member of the Suryakiran Aerobatic Display Team”, the statement said.
The Air Chief has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Vayu Sena Medal (VM).