He has succeeded ACM BS Dhanoa, who superannuated on Monday.After assuming charge, he went to National War Memorial and paid his tribute to soldiers who made their supreme sacrifice in protecting the nation.
"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," the IAF said.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Pune, Bhadauria has clocked over 4,250 hours of flying and has flown 26 different types of fighter jets during his lifetime.The new IAF chief had served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Southern Air Command from March 2017 to August 2018.