RKS Bhadauria Appointed Next IAF Chief, To Replace BS Dhanoa

The current air chief BS Dhanoa is due to retire on 30 September.

Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria will replace current air chief BS Dhanoa. 

(Photo: The Quint)

The government has decided to appoint Vice Chief Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria as the next chief of air staff, the Defence Ministry's principal spokesperson said on Thursday, 19 September.

Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, the 25th Chief of the Air Staff (COAS) of the Indian Air Force, is due to retire on 30 September. He took over as the COAS on 1 January 2017.

WHO IS RKS BHADAURIA?

RKS Bhadauria was appointed as the vice chief of air staff on 29 April, prior to which he was at the helm of IAF's Training Command in Bengaluru.

He was also the chairperson of the Indian negotiation team for the 36 Rafale aircraft deal with France, which had become a hot political issue a few months back, with the Congress alleging irregularities in the deal by the Modi government.

According to the IAF website, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Bhadauria was "commissioned in the fighter stream of IAF on 15 June 1980 and won the coveted 'Sword of Honour' for standing first in the overall order of merit."

“He has over 4,250 hours of experience on twenty-six types of fighters and transport aircraft with the unique distinction of being an Experimental Test Pilot, a Cat ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor and a Pilot Attack Instructor.”

IAF website on RKS Bhadauria

Bhadauria was formerly also the commandant of the Pune-based National Defence Academy from August 2014 to January 2015.