New Delhi: India today named the present air force vice chief Air Marshal V. R. Chaudhari to take over as the next Chief of Air Staff from Sep 30 afternoon and lead the force of 140,000 personnel and around 500 combat aircraft for at least the next two-and-a-half years.

“(The) government has decided to appoint Air Marshal V. R. Chaudhari, presently the Vice Chief of Air Staff, as the next Chief of the Air Staff after the retirement of Air Chief Marshal R. K. S. Bhadauria, on Sep. 30,” a statement from the Ministry of Defence said.

Air Marshal Chaudhari was commissioned into the fighter stream of Indian Air Force on Dec. 29, 1982 and has held various Command, Staff and Instructional appointments at various levels, including the present one as Vice Chief of Air Staff.

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