>Zwerubae: /* Awards and medals */

2021-07-05T10:32:00Z

Awards and medals

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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]]
| name = R K S Bhadauria
| honorific_suffix = [[PVSM]], [[AVSM]], [[Vayusena Medal|VM]], [[Aide-de-camp|ADC]]
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria PVSM AVSM VM ADC took over as the Chief of the Air Staff on 30 September 2019.jpg
| image_size =
| office = 26th [[Chief of Air Staff (India)|Chief of the Air Staff]]
| term_start = 30 September 2019
|
| president = [[Ram Nath Kovind]]
| primeminister = [[Narendra Modi]]
| predecessor = [[Birender Singh Dhanoa]]
| alt =
| caption =
| office2 = 43rd [[Vice Chief of Air Staff (India)|Vice Chief of the Air Staff]]
| term_start2 = 1 May 2019
| term_end2 = 30 September 2019
| predecessor2 = [[Anil Khosla]]
| successor2 = [[Harjit Singh Arora]]
| birth_date = 1959
| death_date = 
| birth_place =
| death_place =
| placeofburial =
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial_coordinates = 
| nickname = Chhotu<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/16026|title=Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria - Service record|publisher=Bharat Rakshak|access-date=14 November 2020}}</ref>
| birth_name =
| allegiance = {{IND}}
| branch = {{air force|India}}
| serviceyears = 15 June 1980 -
| rank = [[File:India-AirForce-OF-9-collected.svg|30px]] [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]]
| military_blank1 = [[Service number]]
| military_data1 = 16026<ref name="avsm"/>
| unit =
| commands = [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of the Air Staff]] [[Vice Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Vice Chief of the Air Staff]] [[Training Command (India)|Training Command]] [[Southern Air Command (India)|Southern Air Command]] Deputy Chief of Air Staff
| battles =
| battles_label =
| military_blank2 = Awards
| military_data2 = [[File:Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] [[File:Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]] [[File:Vayusena Medal ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Vayu Sena Medal]]
| spouse = Asha Bhadauria
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}

[[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] '''Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria''' (b 1959), [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]], [[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal|AVSM]], [[Vayu Sena Medal|VM]], [[Aide-de-camp|ADC]] is the current [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of the Air Staff]] of the [[Indian Air Force]], having assumed office on 30 September 2019 after superannuation of [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] [[Birender Singh Dhanoa]]. He will superannuate on 30 September 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bharatshakti.in/air-force-change-of-guard-at-critical-posts/|title=Rapid Turnover in IAF Brass|publisher=Bharat Shakti|date=2021-05-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|user=IAF_MCC|title=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.|number=1178538245006618624|date=2019-09-30}}</ref><ref name="cas-office-pib">{{cite press release|url=http://pib.gov.in/newsite/Printrelease.aspx?relid=193516|title=Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria takes over as the 26th Chief of the Air Staff|date=30 September 2019|publisher=Press Information Bureau}}</ref><ref name="rks-age">{{cite web|url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/air-marshal-rks-bhadauria-to-be-next-indian-air-force-chief-2235543.html|title=Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria to be the next Indian Air Force chief|publisher=Zee News|date=30 September 2019|access-date=13 September 2020}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Bhadauria is from Korath, a village of tahsil Bah District [[Agra]].<ref>https://www.amarujala.com/photo-gallery/uttar-pradesh/agra/air-marshal-rakesh-kumar-singh-bhadauria-success-untold-story</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.magzter.com/share/mag/6727/346624|title=SP’s Aviation - May 2019 Digital Magazine from Magzter - World's Largest Digital Newsstand|website=Magzter|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref> His father, Suraj Pal Singh Bhadauria, too served in the [[Indian Air Force]] as a Junior Commissioned Officer and retired with the rank of Master Warrant Officer.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chauhan |first1=Arvind |title=Air Marshal's ancestral village celebrates his appointment as IAF Chief |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/air-marshals-ancestral-village-celebrates-his-appointment-as-iaf-chief/articleshow/71206574.cms |access-date=22 September 2020 |agency=THE TIMES OF INDIA}}</ref> Bhadauria is an alumnus of [[Defence Services Command and Staff College (Bangladesh)|Defence Services Command and Staff College]] Bangladesh, [[National Defence Academy (India)|National Defence Academy]], [[Pune]] and holds a Masters in Defence studies from Command and Staff College.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="bw-250221">{{cite web|url=http://www.businessworld.in/article/IAF-Chief-inducted-into-Mirpur-Hall-of-Fame-at-defence-college-in-Bangladesh-/24-02-2021-381387/|title=IAF Chief inducted into 'Mirpur Hall of Fame' at defence college in Bangladesh|publisher=Business World|date=25 February 2021}}</ref>

== Career ==
Bhadauria was commissioned into the fighter stream of the [[Indian Air Force]] on 15 June 1980 with the Sword of Honour. He has clocked over 4,250 hours of flying and has experience on 26 different types of fighter jets and transport aircraft. He held several key operational and administrative appointments at various stages of his service including Commander of a Jaguar Squadron at a front line base in South-Western sector; Commanding Officer of Flight Test Squadron at Aircraft and System Testing Establishment; Chief Test Pilot and Project Director of National Flight Test Centre on the Tejas LCA project; Air Attache in [[Moscow]]; Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Projects); Commandant of the National Defence Academy; Senior Air Staff Officer at Central Air Command and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (1 January 2016 - 28 February 2017). He is also an experimental Test Pilot, a Category A qualified Flying Instructor and a Pilot Attack Instructor.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/air-marshal-r-k-singh-bhadauria-takes-over-as-deputy-chief-of-air-staff/articleshow/50408076.cms|title=Air Marshal R K Singh Bhadauria takes over as Deputy Chief of Air Staff|date=2016|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2017-10-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=134102|title=Press Information Bureau|access-date=2017-10-12}}</ref>

Bhadauria served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), [[Southern Air Command (India)|Southern Air Command]] from 1 March 2017, succeeding [[Air marshal|Air Marshal]] [[Sunderraman Neelakantan]], to 1 August 2018.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-dy-chief-of-iaf-bhadauria-new-aoc-in-chief-of-southern-command-2336930|title=Dy Chief of IAF Bhadauria new AOC-in-Chief of Southern Command {{!}} Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis|date=2017-02-27|work=dna|access-date=2017-10-12|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2017/mar/02/new-southern-air-command-chief-takes-charge-1576495.html|title=New Southern Air Command chief takes charge|work=The New Indian Express|access-date=2017-10-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://indianairforce.nic.in/show_command.php?pg_id=32&page_type=command&comm_id=5#|title=SOUTHERN AIR COMMAND|website=indianairforce.nic.in|access-date=2017-10-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125134636/http://indianairforce.nic.in/show_command.php?pg_id=32&page_type=command&comm_id=5|archive-date=2018-03-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/shower-of-warmth-at-kovinds-maiden-visit/article19825978.ece|title=Shower of warmth at Kovind’s maiden visit|author=Staff Reporter|date=2017-10-09|work=The Hindu|access-date=2017-10-12|last2=Reporter|first2=Staff|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

He also served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), [[Training Command (India)|Training Command]] from 1 August 2018 after retirement of Air Marshal [[S R K Nair]], and held the office till his elevation to the Vice Chief of the Air Staff.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/new-chief-of-iaf-training-command/article24586982.ece|title=New chief of IAF Training Command|date=3 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/iaf-training-chief-srk-nair-retires/articleshow/65213737.cms|title=IAF training chief SRK Nair retires|date=31 July 2018}}</ref>

He took office of [[Vice Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Vice Chief of the Air Staff]] on 1 May 2019 after superannuation of Air Marshal [[Anil Khosla]].<ref>{{cite tweet|user=IAF_MCC|number=1123565272839802880|title=Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria took over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff today. He took over from Air Marshal Anil Khosla, who superannuated on 30 Apr 19 after 39 years of glorious service.|date=2019-05-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=189897|title=Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria PVSM AVSM VM ADC Takes Over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff |date=1 May 2019|publisher=Press Information Bureau}}</ref>

On 19 September 2019 he was appointed as the [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of Air Staff]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/story/air-marshal-rks-bhadauria-appointed-as-new-air-chief-1600955-2019-09-19|title=Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria appointed as new Indian Air Force chief|website=India Today|language=en|access-date=2019-09-19}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
He is married to Asha Bhadauria and they have two children.<ref name=":1" />

== Awards and decorations ==
During 39 years of his career, Bhadauria has been awarded several medals: the [[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]] (January 2013), the [[Vayu Sena Medal]] (January 2002).<ref name=":0" /><ref name="avsm">{{Cite web|url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/Printrelease.aspx?relid=95177|title=President Confers Gallantry and Distinguished Service Awards|date=2013-04-27|access-date=2017-10-12}}</ref> and the [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] (January 2018).<ref>{{cite web|title=390 Republic Day Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations Announced|url=http://www.pib.nic.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1517875}}</ref> He was appointed as the honorary air force [[Aide-de-camp|ADC]] to the [[President of India]] on 1 January 2019.<ref name="cas-office-pib"/> He was inducted into Mirpur Hall of Fame at [[Defence Services Command and Staff College (Bangladesh)|Defence Services Command and Staff College]], Bangladesh.<ref name="bw-250221"/>
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="4"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|colspan="4"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Vayusena Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Samanya Seva medal.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Siachen Glacier Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|colspan="4"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Operation Parakram medal.svg |width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Operation Vijay medal.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND High Altitude Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|colspan="5"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Videsh Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 30 Years Long Service Ribbon.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|width=106}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|colspan="3"|[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|colspan="2.5" align="center" |[[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|-
|colspan="2"|[[Vayu Sena Medal]]
|colspan="1"|[[Samanya Seva Medal]]
|colspan="2"|[[Siachen Glacier Medal]]
|-
|colspan="2"|[[Operation Parakram Medal]]
|[[Operation Vijay Medal]]
|[[Sainya Seva Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|High Altitude Service Medal]]
|-
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Videsh Seva Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|50th Anniversary of Independence Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|30 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|20 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|9 Years Long Service Medal]]

|}

==Dates of rank==
{|class="wikitable" style="background:white"
! Insignia !! Rank !! Component !! Date of rank
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Pilot Officer of IAF.png|35px]] || [[Pilot Officer]] || [[Indian Air Force]] || 15 June 1980<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=721 |date=23 May 1981 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1981/O-0960-1981-0021-42639.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Flying Officer of IAF.png|35px]] || [[Flying Officer]] || [[Indian Air Force]] || 15 June 1981<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=402 |date=20 March 1982 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1982/O-0920-1982-0012-40777.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Flight Lieutenant of IAF.png|35px]] || [[Flight Lieutenant]] || [[Indian Air Force]] || 15 June 1985<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=1526 |date=2 November 1985 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1985/O-0781-1985-0044-34620.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Squadron Leader of IAF.png|35px]] || [[Squadron Leader]] || [[Indian Air Force]] || 15 June 1991<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=681 |date=11 April 1992 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1992/O-0468-1992-0015-18750.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Wing_Commander_of_IAF.png|35px]] || [[Wing Commander (rank)|Wing Commander]] || [[Indian Air Force]] || 5 May 1997<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=923 |date=15 June 2002 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2002/O-2520-2002-0024-114258.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Group_Captain_of_IAF.png|35px]] || [[Group captain (India)|Group Captain]] || [[Indian Air Force]] || 1 May 2003<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=246 |date=29 January 2005 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2005/W_5_2011_115.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Air_Commodore_of_IAF.png|35px]] || [[Air Commodore]] || [[Indian Air Force]] || 1 January 2008<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=1033 |date=26 July 2008 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2008/W_30_2011_071.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Air_Vice_Marshal_of_IAF.png|35px]] || [[Air Vice Marshal]] || [[Indian Air Force]] || 29 April 2011 (seniority from 1 January)<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=1986 |date=22 October 2011 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2011/W_43_2011_096.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Air_Marshal_of_IAF.png|35px]] || [[Air Marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] || [[Indian Air Force]] || 1 August 2014<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Air Branch) |page=1132 |date=2 May 2015 |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2015/163609.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Air_Chief_Marshal_of_IAF.png|35px]] || [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] (CAS) || [[Indian Air Force]] || 30 September 2019
|-
|}

==Gallery==

{{Gallery
|title=
|width=160 | height=170
|File:ACM RKS Bhaduring undertaking sortie on Tejas from SQ45 during SQ 18 commissioning ceremony.jpg
|[[Indian Air Force|IAF]] Chief [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|ACM]] [[Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria|RKS Bhaduria]] undertaking sortie on Tejas from SQ45 during SQ 18 commissioning ceremony.
|File:ACM RKS Bhaduria with SQ45 CO Samrat Dhankar during SQ 18 commissioning ceremony.jpg
|ACM RKS Bhaduria with SQ45 CO Samrat Dhankar during SQ 18 commissioning ceremony
|File:IAF Chief RKS Bhaduria handing over ceremonial key to SQ 18 CO Manish Tolani.jpg
|IAF Chief RKS Bhaduria handing over ceremonial key to SQ 18 CO Manish Tolani
}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|group=N}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{Succession box
| title = [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of Air Staff]]
| years = 30 September 2019 - 30 September 2021
| before = [[Birender Singh Dhanoa]]
| after = Incumbent
}}
{{Succession box
| title = [[Vice Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Vice Chief of Air Staff]]
| years = 1 May 2019 - 30 September 2019
| before = [[Anil Khosla]]
| after = [[Harjit Singh Arora]]
}}
{{Succession box
| title = Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, [[Training Command (India)|Training Command]]
| years = 1 August 2018 - 30 April 2019
| before = [[S R K Nair]]
| after = [[Surendra Kumar Ghotia]]
}}
{{Succession box
| title = Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, [[Southern Air Command (India)|Southern Air Command]]
| years = 1 March 2017 - 31 July 2018
| before = [[Sunderraman Neelakantan]]
| after = [[Balakrishnan Suresh]]
}}
{{Succession box
| title = Deputy Chief of Air Staff
| years = 1 January 2016 - 28 February 2017
| before = [[Shyam Bihari Prasad Sinha]]
| after = [[Raghunath Nambiar]]
}}
{{Succession box
| title = [[Commandant of the National Defence Academy]]
| years = 1 August 2014 - 30 January 2015
| before = [[Kulwant Singh Gill|KS Gill]]
| after = [[G Ashok Kumar]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Chief of the Air Staff (India)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhadauria, Rakesh Kumar Singh}}
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Vice Chiefs of Air Staff (India)]]
[[Category:Commandants of the National Defence Academy]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Vayu Sena Medal]]
[[Category:National Defence Academy (India) alumni]]

Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria - Revision history

>Zwerubae: /* Awards and medals */