NEW DELHI, Dec 30: Air Marshal Arup Raha, an ace fighter pilot, will tomorrow take over as the Air Force chief succeeding incumbent Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne.
Eastern Air Command chief Air Marshal RK Sharma will succeed Raha as the Vice Chief of Air Staff.
Born on December 26, 1954, 59 year-old Raha is expected to have a tenure of three years as the Chief of Air Staff.
Commissioned on December 14, 1974 in the fighter stream of the IAF, Raha has held various command, staff and instructional appointments in his 39-year-old career.
He has also served as Air Attache at the Embassy of India in Ukraine.
Besides various technical courses, Raha has done Strategic Nuclear Orientation Course and Junior Commanders’ course. He has commanded Central Air Command and Western Air Command.
Raha has served as Directing Staff at Flying Instructors School, Tambaram (Tamil Nadu) as well as at the Gwalior-based Tactics and Combat Development Establishment of the IAF.
Raha will get the command of the force at a time when it is engaged in a tussle with its largest supplier Hindustan Aeronautics Limited over the issue of indigenous and foreigner trainer aircraft.
The IAF is also engaged in intense negotiations for the procurement of 126 Rafale multi-role combat aircraft from the French firm Dassault Aviation.
Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, who is expected to be the next Chief of the Army, will also move in the Army headquarters as the Vice Chief of Army Staff tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Army chief Gen Bikram Singh today took over as the new Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) to succeed IAF Chief NAK Browne, who is superannuating tomorrow.
The baton of the CoSC was handed over to Gen Singh by the outgoing IAF chief in a ceremony attended by Admiral DK Joshi and a host of senior military commanders from the three services.
Gen Singh will have a brief tenure of around seven months as the CoSC as he is expected to retire in July this year.
The COSC is the senior-most officer of the three Services and is in-charge for looking after the joint issues related to them. The senior-most of the three Services chiefs takes over the post.
Gen Singh was also speculated to be a frontrunner in the race for being appointed as the Permanent Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee — a post which has been recommended by the Naresh Chandra Committee for reforms in the higher defence management.
The National Security Council Secretariat is expected to prepare proposals for the appointment of a four-star general to head the tri-services organisation.
However, the Defence Ministry has made it clear that it would like to create such a post only after discussions with other political parties and try to evolve a consensus on it.
The Defence Ministry is also of the view that there should be no haste in taking decision on a matter which will result in bringing about a major change in the military structures. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel