Chief of the Air Staff (India)

Chief of the Air Staff
Flag of the Chief of the Air Staff
Incumbent
Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa
since 31 December 2016
Indian Air Force
Abbreviation CAS
Member of Strategic Policy Group
Seat Central Secretariat
Appointer Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC)
The Chief of the Air Staff is usually the senior-most Indian Air Force officer of the senior most batch. The appointee for the office is approved by Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister, based on appointee's ability and strong confidence with Prime Minister.
Term length 3 years or at the age of 62, whichever is earlier.
Precursor Commander-in-Chief, Indian Air Force
Formation 1 April 1955 (1955-04-01)
First holder Air Marshal Subroto Mukherjee
Deputy Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Anil Khosla
Salary ₹250,000 (US$3,500) monthly[1][2]

Chief of the Air Staff is the professional head and the commander of the Indian Air Force.[3] The position is abbreviated as CAS in the Indian Air Force cables and communication, and is usually held by a four-star air officer of the rank Air Chief Marshal. The current CAS is Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa who took office on 31 December 2016, following the retirement of Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha.[4][5][6]

The position was held by an Air Commodore (1919–1923), by an Air Vice-Marshal (1923–1929) and by an Air Marshal (1929–1965). In 1966, the position was upgraded to that of an Air Chief Marshal. The highest rank in the India's IAF is Marshal of the Air Force, which is conferred by the President of India only in exceptional circumstances. It has only been given once in January 2002 to Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh. This is a five-star rank and is equivalent to a Field Marshal in the Army and Admiral of the Fleet in the Navy.

List

Commander, Indian Group (1919 to 1920)

№ NameTook officeLeft officeTime in office
1
Webb-Bowen, TomAir Vice-Marshal
Tom Webb-Bowen CB, CMG
(1879–1956)		20 September 191927 January 1920129 days

Air Officer Commanding RAF, India (1920–1938)

№ NameTook officeLeft officeTime in office
1
Webb-Bowen, TomAir Vice-Marshal
Tom Webb-Bowen CB, CMG
(1879–1956)		27 January 192031 December 19222 years, 338 days
2
Game, PhilipAir Vice-Marshal
Philip Game CB, DSO
(1876–1961)		31 December 19225 November 1923309 days
3
Ellington, EdwardMarshal of the Royal Air Force
Sir Edward Leonard Ellington KCB, CMG, CBE
(1877–1967)		5 November 192327 December 19263 years, 52 days
4
Ellington, EdwardAir Chief Marshal
Sir Geoffrey Salmond KCB, KCMG, DSO
(1878–1933)		27 December 19266 February 19314 years, 41 days
5
Steel, JohnAir Chief Marshal
Sir John Miles Steel KCB, KBE, CMG
(1877–1965)		6 February 19312 March 19354 years, 24 days
6
Ludlow-Hewitt, EdgarAir Chief Marshal
Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt KCB, CMG, DSO, MC
(1886–1973)		2 March 193529 September 19372 years, 211 days
7
de la Ferté, PhilipAir Chief Marshal
Sir Philip Joubert de la Ferté KCB, CMG, DSO
(1886–1973)		29 September 193727 December 19381 year, 89 days

Air Officer Commander-in-Chief, Air Forces in India (1938–1947)

№ NameTook officeLeft officeTime in officeRef
1
de la Ferté, PhilipAir Chief Marshal
Sir Philip Joubert de la Ferté KCB, CMG, DSO
(1886–1973)		27 December 19386 October 1939283 days[7]
2
Higgins, JohnAir Marshal
Sir John Higgins KCB, KBE, DSO, AFC
(1875–1948)		6 October 193926 September 1940356 days—
3
Playfair, PatrickAir Marshal
Sir Patrick Playfair KCB, CB, CVO, MC
(1889–1974)		26 September 19406 March 19421 year, 161 days—
4
Peirse, RichardAir Chief Marshal
Sir Richard Peirse KCB, DSO, AFC
(1892–1970)		6 March 194227 April 19431 year, 52 days—
5
Garrod, GuyAir Chief Marshal
Sir Guy Garrod KCB, OBE, MC, DFC
(1891–1965)		27 April 19438 March 1944316 days—
6
Thomas, MeredithAir Vice-Marshal
Meredith Thomas CSI, CBE, DFC, AFC
(1892–1984)		8 March 19441 April 19462 years, 24 days—
7
Carr, RoderickAir Marshal
Sir Roderick Carr KBE, CB, DFC, AFC
(1891–1971)		1 April 194622 November 1946235 days—
8
Walmsley, HughAir Marshal
Sir Hugh Walmsley KCIE, CBE, MC, DFC
(1898–1985)		22 November 194615 August 1947252 days—

(On 15 August 1947, the unified RIAF was separated into the Royal Indian Air Force and the Royal Pakistan Air Force)

The following tables chronicle the appointees to the office of the Chief of the Air Staff or its preceding positions since the independence of India.[8]

(**Seconded from the Royal Air Force)

Air Officer Commanding, Royal Indian Air Force (1947–1948)

№ NameTook officeLeft officeTime in office
1
Elmhirst, ThomasAir Marshal
Sir Thomas Elmhirst KBE, CB, AFC
(1895–1982)
[lower-alpha 1]		15 August 194721 June 1948311 days

Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Air Force (1948–1950)

№ NameTook officeLeft officeTime in office
1
Elmhirst, ThomasAir Marshal
Sir Thomas Elmhirst KBE, CB, AFC
(1895–1982)
[lower-alpha 1]		21 June 194825 January 19501 year, 218 days

Commander-in-Chief, Indian Air Force (1950–1955)

№ NameTook officeLeft officeTime in office
1
Elmhirst, ThomasAir Marshal
Sir Thomas Elmhirst KBE, CB, AFC
(1895–1982)
[lower-alpha 1][9]		26 January 195023 February 195028 days
2
Ivelaw-Chapman, RonaldAir Chief Marshal
Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman KBE, GCB, CB, DFC, AFC
(1899–1978)
[lower-alpha 1]		23 February 19509 December 19511 year, 289 days
3
Gibbs, GeraldAir Marshal
Gerald Gibbs CIE, CBE, MC & Two Bars
(1896–1992)
[lower-alpha 1]		10 December 195131 March 19542 years, 111 days
4
Mukerjee, SubrotoAir Marshal
Subroto Mukerjee OBE
(1911–1960)		1 April 195431 March 19551 year, 0 days

Chief of the Air Staff (1955–present)

No. Name Rank Photo Appointment Date Left Office Decorations
4Subroto MukerjeeAir Marshal1 April 19558 November 1960OBE
5Aspy EngineerAir Marshal1 December 196031 July 1964DFC
6Arjan SinghAir Chief Marshal (later Marshal of the Indian Air Force)1 August 196415 July 1969Padma Vibhushan, DFC
7Pratap Chandra LalAir Chief Marshal16 July 196915 January 1973Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, DFC
8Om Prakash MehraAir Chief Marshal16 January 197331 January 1976PVSM, PV
9Hrushikesh MoolgavkarAir Chief Marshal1 February 197631 August 1978PVSM, MVC, LOM
10Idris LatifAir Chief Marshal1 September 197831 August 1981PVSM
11Dilbagh SinghAir Chief Marshal1 September 19813 September 1984PVSM, AVSM, VM
12Lakshman Mohan KatreAir Chief Marshal3 September 19841 July 1985PVSM, AVSM
13Denis Anthony La FontaineAir Chief Marshal3 July 198531 July 1988PVSM, AVSM, VSM
14Surinder MehraAir Chief Marshal1 August 198831 July 1991PVSM
15Nirmal Chandra SuriAir Chief Marshal31 July 199131 July 1993PVSM, AVSM, VSM
16Swaroop KaulAir Chief Marshal1 August 199331 December 1995PVSM, MVC
17Satish Kumar SareenAir Chief Marshal31 December 199531 December 1998PVSM, AVSM, VM
18Anil Yashwant TipnisAir Chief Marshal31 December 199831 December 2001PVSM, AVSM, VM
19Srinivasapuram KrishnaswamyAir Chief Marshal31 December 200131 December 2004PVSM, AVSM, VM & Bar
20Shashindra Pal TyagiAir Chief Marshal31 December 200431 March 2007PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC
21Fali Homi MajorAir Chief Marshal31 March 200731 March 2009PVSM, AVSM, SC, VM, ADC
22Pradeep Vasant NaikAir Chief Marshal31 March 200931 July 2011PVSM, VSM, ADC
23Anil Kumar BrowneAir Chief Marshal31 July 201131 December 2013PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC
24Arup RahaAir Chief Marshal31 December 201331 December 2016PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC
25 Birender Singh DhanoaAir Chief Marshal31 December 2016IncumbentPVSM AVSM, YSM, VM, ADC

Marshal of the Air Force

Only once has this rank ever been given:

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Seconded from the Royal Air Force

References

  1. ↑ "Report of the 7th Central Pay Commission of India" (PDF). Seventh Central Pay Commission, Government of India. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  2. ↑ Biswas, Shreya, ed. (June 29, 2016). "7th Pay Commission cleared: What is the Pay Commission? How does it affect salaries?". India Today. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Ex-Chiefs Gallery". Indian Air Force. Archived from the original on 3 April 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  4. ↑ "Air Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa AVSM YSM VM takes over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff". PIB. GOI. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  5. ↑ "Press Information Bureau". Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  6. ↑ "Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa takes over as the 25th Chief of the Air Staff". pib.nic.in. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  7. ↑ Chiefs of the Indian Air Force 1931 to 1947 Archived 2 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ "Chiefs of Air Staff". Bharat Rakshak. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  9. ↑ Chiefs of the Indian Air Force 1947 to Present Archived 26 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
  • "Chief of The Air Staff". Indian Air Force.
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