Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria takes charge as new IAF chief
Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria takes charge as new IAF chief
NEW DELHI: Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria on September 30 took charge as the 26th chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF) .nn
Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, took over as 26th Chief of the Indian Air Force today.
He was commissioned into the fighter stream of IAF in Jun 1980. pic.twitter.com/9xH01idY1s— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) September 30, 2019
nnHe succeeds Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, who retired after 41 years of service in the IAF. Air Marshal Bhadauria was commissioned in the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in June 1980, and has held various command, staff and instructional positions.nnAn alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Air Marshal Bhadauria was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF in June 1980 and won the coveted ?Sword of Honour? for standing first in the overall order of merit.nnDuring his nearly four-decade career, Air Marshal Bhadauria commanded a Jaguar squadron and a premier Air Force Station.nnHe devised a method for carrying bombing from the Jaguar aircraft using the Global Positioning System (GPS). This was especially relevant for the bombing role of Jaguar aircraft in Operation Safed Sagar in 1999.nnThe new IAF chief also has 4,250 hours of flying experience on 26 types of fighters and transport aircraft.nnAir Marshal Bhadauria is one of the few Air Force pilots to fly a Rafale jet. In July, during Exercise Garuda between the Air Forces of India and France, he had flown the Rafale aircraft.nnHe was the Air Attache at the Indian Embassy in Moscow, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Projects), Commandant of the National Defence Academy, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at Air Head Quarter and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Air Command.nnSource: Press Trust of India
