QLXChristoper: minor changes

2025-11-09T21:16:05Z

minor changes

Bot at 04:55, 29 October 2022

2022-10-29T04:55:57Z

New page

{{Short description|Chief of the Indian Air Force}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]]
| name = Vivek Ram Chaudhari
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=IND|PVSM|AVSM|VM|ADC}}
| image = Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari PVSM AVSM VM ADC.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Official portrait, 2021
| office = 27th [[Chief of Air Staff (India)|Chief of the Air Staff]]
| term_start = {{Start date|2021|09|30|df=yes}}
| term_end =
| president = {{ubl|[[Ram Nath Kovind]]|[[Droupadi Murmu]]}}
| primeminister = [[Narendra Modi]]
| predecessor = [[R. K. S. Bhadauria]]
| successor =
| office1 = 45th [[Vice Chief of Air Staff (India)|Vice Chief of the Air Staff]]
| term_start1 = {{Start date|2021|07|01|df=yes}}
| term_end1 = {{End date|2021|09|30|df=yes}}
| predecessor1 = [[Harjit Singh Arora]]
| successor1 = [[Sandeep Singh (air marshal)|Sandeep Singh]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|09|04|df=yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianairforce.nic.in/#section-114-24|title=CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF|publisher=Indian Air Force|date=2021-09-30}}</ref>
| death_date = 
| death_place =
| nickname =
| birth_place =
| nationality = [[Indian people|Indian]]
| allegiance = {{flag|India}}
| branch = {{air force|India}}
| serviceyears = 29 December 1982 - Present
| rank = [[File:Indian IAF OF-9.svg|25px]] [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]]
| military_blank1 = [[Service number]]
| military_data1 = 16978<ref name="avsm"/>
| unit = [[No. 28 Squadron IAF|No. 28 Squadron]]
| commands = [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of the Air Staff]] [[Western Air Command (India)|Western Air Command]] [[Lohegaon Air Force Station]] 8 Forward Base Support Unit [[No. 28 Squadron IAF|No. 28 Squadron]]
| battles = [[Operation Meghdoot]] [[Kargil war]]
| 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]]
| laterwork =
| other_name =
| memorials =
| module =
| country = India
| parents = Rambhau Ganapat Chaudhari (Father)
| children = 2
}}

[[Air chief marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] '''Vivek Ram Chaudhari''', {{Post-nominals|country=IND|PVSM|AVSM|VM|ADC}} is an [[air officer]] of the [[Indian Air Force]]. He currently serves as the [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of the Air Staff]] (CAS). He took over as the 27th CAS succeeding [[Air Chief Marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] [[Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria]] on 30 September 2021.<ref>{{cite web |last1=P |first1=Rajat |last2=Sep 21 |first2=it / TNN / |title=Air Marshal VR Chaudhari to be next IAF chief {{!}} India News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/air-marshal-vr-chaudhari-to-be-next-iaf-chief/articleshow/86401576.cms |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref> He earlier served as the 45th [[Vice Chief of Air Staff (India)|Vice Chief of the Air Staff]] and as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief [[Western Air Command]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1731870|title=AIR MARSHAL VIVEK RAM CHAUDHARI PVSM AVSM VM ASSUMES CHARGE AS VICE CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF|publisher=PIB|date=2021-07-01}}</ref><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 web|url=https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1642858|title= Air Marshal VR Chaudhari AVSM VM Assumes Command of Western Air Command|date=2020-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|user=DefencePROPalam|number=1289485201215590400|title=Air Marshal VR Chaudhari has taken over as the Air Officer Commanding in Chief of Western Air Command.|date=2020-08-01}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Chaudhari was born to Rambhau Ganapat Chaudhari. His mother was a school headmistress. His grandfather was a teacher at the Zila Parishad school at Koli, a village in Hadgaon taluka.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Online|first=Lokmat|date=22 September 2021|title=नांदेडचे सुपुत्र एअर मार्शल व्ही. आर. चाैधरी हाेणार नवे वायुसेना प्रमुख|trans-title=Air Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, sonnof Nanded going to become new Air chief.|work=[[Lokmat]]|url=https://www.lokmat.com/maharashtra/nandeds-son-v-r-chaidhary-will-be-new-air-chief-marshal-a653/amp/|access-date=1 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lokmat.com/videos/national/bhumiputra-nanded-be-air-chief-air-marshal-vivek-ram-chaudhari-be-next-iaf-chief-a678/|title=नांदेडचे भूमिपुत्र होणार हवाईदल प्रमुख! Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari to be next IAF Chief|date=24 September 2021}}</ref> He studied in primary school at [[Nanded]]. The family moved to [[Hyderabad]] as his father started a company there. He thus did his schooling from BHEL Higher Secondary School, Ramachandrapuram, Hyderabad.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lokmat.com/videos/national/bhumiputra-nanded-be-air-chief-air-marshal-vivek-ram-chaudhari-be-next-iaf-chief-a678/|title = नांदेडचे भूमिपुत्र होणार हवाईदल प्रमुख! Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari to be next IAF Chief|date = 24 September 2021}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} He subsequently moved to [[Pune]] and enrolled in a military school. He is an alumnus of the [[National Defence Academy]] (61'st Course), the [[Air Force Academy (India)|Air Force Academy]] and the [[Defence Services Staff College]], [[Wellington Cantonment|Wellington]] (DSSC).<ref name =Lokmat>https://www.english.lokmat.com/international/air-marshal-vivek-ram-chaudhari-to-be-next-iaf-chief/amp/ {{Bare URL inline|date=April 2022}}</ref>

==Career==

Chaudhari was commissioned in the [[Indian Air Force]] as a fighter pilot on 29 December 1982. He is a Category 'A' [[qualified flying instructor]], and Instrument Rating Instructor and examiner. He has a flying experience of over 3800 hours on various fighter aircraft including [[MiG-21]], [[MiG-23|MiG-23MF]], [[MiG-29]] and [[Su-30MKI]]. He was also a pioneer member of the [[Surya Kiran]] Aerobatic Display Team.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/air-marshal-v-r-chaudhari-to-take-over-as-chief-of-iafs-western-air-command/articleshow/77157744.cms|title=Air Marshal V R Chaudhari to take over as chief of IAF's Western Air Command|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=2020-07-25}}</ref> As a fighter pilot, he flew operational missions during [[Operation Meghdoot]] and [[Operation Safed Sagar]].<ref name = IndiaToday>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/vivek-ram-chaudhari-indian-air-force-iaf-chief-1859095-2021-09-30|title = Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari takes over as Indian Air Force chief}}</ref>

Chaudhari has commanded the MiG-29 squadron [[No. 28 Squadron IAF]] at [[Jamnagar]] and the forward base in [[Awantipora]] in [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. He also served as the chief operations officer of the [[Srinagar Air Force Station]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Service Record for Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari 16978 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com |url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/16978 |website=Bharat Rakshak |language=en-gb}}</ref>

===Flag officer===
As an [[air commodore (India)|air commodore]], he served as the Air assistant to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal [[Pradeep Vasant Naik]]. He subsequently commanded the [[Lohegaon Air Force Station|Lohegaon air base]] in [[Pune]]. He has served as an instructor at DSSC Wellington as well as Defence Services Command and Staff College at [[Lusaka]], [[Zambia]].

After promotion to [[Air vice marshal (India)|Air Vice Marshal]], Chaudhari served as the Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Air Defence) at Air headquarters and as the Deputy Commandant at the [[Air Force Academy (India)|Air Force Academy]], Dundigul.<ref name="dcas-pib">{{cite web|date=2018-10-02|title=Air Marshal VR Chaudhari AVSM VM takes over as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff|url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=183889}}</ref> He subsequently was appointed the Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Personnel Officers) and later as Deputy Chief of Air Staff at Air HQ.<ref>{{cite tweet|title=Air Mshl VR Chaudhari AVSM VM took over as Senior Air Staff Officer at EAC, #Shillong on 03 Oct 19. He is a Cat-A QFI,with over 3800 hrs of flying exp on various fighter aircraft. Prior to this assignment,he was the DCAS at Air HQ.|user=proshillong|number=1179967636622307328|date=2019-10-03}}</ref><ref name="saso-spsaviation"/> On 1 October 2019, he was appointed Senior Air Staff Officer of the [[Eastern Air Command (India)|Eastern Air Command]] in [[Shillong]]. After a short stint, on 1 August 2020, he was appointed [[Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Air Command]].<ref name=Lokmat/>

===Chief of Air Staff===
On 21 September 2021, the [[Government of India]] appointed Chaudhari as the next [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of the Air Staff]] after the retirement of [[Air chief marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] [[R. K. S. Bhadauria|Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria]] on 30 September 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-21|title=Air Marshal VR Chaudhari to be appointed IAF's new Chief of Air Staff|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/vr-chaudhari-appointed-iaf-new-chief-of-air-staff-7525455/|access-date=2021-09-21|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>

== Honours and decorations ==
During his career, Chaudhari has been awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2004, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2015 and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2021 for his service.<ref name="saso-spsaviation">{{cite web|url=http://www.sps-aviation.com/appointments/?id=24&h=Air-Marshal-VR-Chaudhari-AVSM-VM-takes-over-as-Senior-Air-Staff-Officer-of-Head-Quarters-Eastern-Air-Command|title=Air Marshal VR Chaudhari AVSM VM takes over as Senior Air Staff Officer of Head Quarters Eastern Air Command|date=2019-10-04}}</ref><ref name="avsm">{{cite web|title=President Confers Gallantry and Distinguished Service Awards|url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/mbErel.aspx?relid=118733|date=2015-04-26|publisher=Press Information Bureau, Government of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1692363|title= President Shri Ram Nath Kovind approves 455 Gallantry & other defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel on Republic Day|publisher=PIB|date=25 January 2021}}</ref>

{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|{{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}}
|{{Ribbon devices|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 Operation Vijay star.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Siachen Glacier Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Special Service Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Operation Parakram medal.svg |width=106}}
|-
|[[File:IND Operation Vijay medal.svg|105px]]
|{{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}}
|{{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;"
|-
|[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|[[Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|[[Vayu Sena Medal]]
|[[Samanya Seva Medal]]
|-
| colspan="1" |[[Operation Vijay Star]]
| colspan="1" |[[Siachen Glacier Medal]]
| colspan="1" |[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Special Service Medal]]
|[[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]]
| colspan="2" |[[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:Indian IAF OF-1b.svg|64x64px]]|| [[Flying officer|Flying Officer]] || Indian Air Force || 29 December 1983<ref name=dateofrank>{{cite web |title=Service Record of Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari |url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/16978 |access-date=11 December 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Indian IAF OF-3.svg|64x64px]]|| [[Squadron Leader]] || Indian Air Force || 29 December 1993<ref name=dateofrank/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Indian IAF OF-4.svg|64x64px]]|| [[Wing commander (rank)|Wing Commander]] || Indian Air Force || 17 May 1999<ref name=dateofrank/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Indian IAF OF-5.svg|64x64px]]|| [[Group Captain]] || Indian Air Force || 1 March 2006<ref name=dateofrank/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Indian IAF OF-6.svg|65x65px]]|| [[Air commodore (India)|Air Commodore]] || Indian Air Force || 1 September 2009<ref name=dateofrank/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Indian IAF OF-7.svg|65x65px]]|| [[Air vice marshal (India)|Air Vice Marshal]] || Indian Air Force || 1 April 2013<ref name=dateofrank/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Indian IAF OF-8.svg|65x65px]]|| [[Air marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] || Indian Air Force || 1 October 2018 (AOC-in-C from 1 August 2020)<ref name=dateofrank/>
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Indian IAF OF-9.svg|65x65px]]|| [[Air chief marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] (CAS) || Indian Air Force || 30 September 2021<ref>{{cite web |location=[[New Delhi]] |date=30 September 2021 |title=Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari Takes Over as the Chief of the Air Staff |url=https://indianairforce.nic.in/air-chief-marshal-vr-chaudhari-takes-over-as-the-chief-of-the-air-staff/ |website=Indian Air Force |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|}

== Personal life ==
He is married to Neeta Chaudhari. They have two sons.<ref name="dcas-pib"/> His son is also in Indian Air Force, he is a Rafale fighter jet pilot.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/iaf-chief-vivek-ram-chaudhari-china-border-fighter-aircraft-atmanirbhar-1859449-2021-10-01|title = IAF chief Vivek Ram Chaudhari: Ready for any eventuality, focus on being atmanirbhar}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}{{Succession box
| title = [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of Air Staff]]
| years = 30 September 2021 - Present
| before = [[R. K. S. Bhadauria]]
| after = '''Incumbent'''
}}{{Succession box
| title = [[Vice Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Vice Chief of Air Staff]]
| years = 1 July 2021 - 30 September 2021
| before = [[Harjit Singh Arora]]
| after = [[Sandeep Singh (air marshal)|Sandeep Singh]]
}}{{Succession box
| title = Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, [[Western Air Command (India)|Western Air Command]]
| years = 1 August 2020 - 30 June 2021
| before = [[Balakrishnan Suresh]]
| after = [[Balabhadra Radha Krishna]]
}}{{Succession box
| title = Senior Air Staff Officer [[Eastern Air Command (India)|Eastern Air Command]]
| years = 1 October 2019 - 31 July 2020
| before = [[Sandeep Singh (IAF)|Sandeep Singh]]
| after = [[Gurcharan Singh Bedi]]
}}
{{Succession box
| title = [[Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Deputy Chief of the Air Staff]]
| years = 1 October 2018 - 30 September 2019
| before = [[Raghunath Nambiar]]
| after = [[Sandeep Singh (IAF)|Sandeep Singh]]
}}{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaudhari, Vivek Ram}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Chiefs of Air Staff (India)]]
[[Category:Vice Chiefs of Air Staff (India)]]
[[Category:Indian Air Force air marshals]]
[[Category:National Defence Academy (India) alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal]]
[[Category:Marathi people]]
[[Category:People from Nanded district]]
[[Category:1962 births]]

Vivek Ram Chaudhari - Revision history

QLXChristoper: minor changes

Bot at 04:55, 29 October 2022