Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria

Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria is the current Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force. Hailing from Korath, Agra, his father was also an Indian Air Force personnel. Before Rakesh was appointed as the chief, it was BS Dhanoa who held the post.

Personal Background

Hometown	Korath, Agra
Marital Status	Married
Children	2
Alma Mater	National Defence Academy, Pune, Command and Staff College

 

Career

In 1980, he was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force. Throughout his career, he has held many designations before finally being appointed as the 26^th Chief of the Indian Air Force.

Areas served	Designation
Frontline base in South-Western Sector	Commander
Flight Test Squadron at Aircraft and System Testing Establishment	Commanding Officer
National Flight Test Centre	Chief Test Pilot and Project Director
National Defence Academy	Commandant
Central Air Command	Deputy Chief
Southern Air Command	Air Officer Commanding in Chief
Training Command	Air Officer Commanding in Chief

 

Awards and Honours

• Vayu Sena Medal (January 2002)
• Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (January 2013)
• Param Vishisht Seva Medal (January 2018)
• Appointed as the honorary air force ADC to the president of India on 1 January, 2019