Veteran fighter pilot Air Marshal Arup Raha, at present Chief of Western Command, will take over as Vice Chief of Air Staff on Monday after incumbent Air Marshal DC Kumaria retired on Sunday. Raha is likely to be the next Air Chief after present chief NAK Browne retires at the end of this year.
Commissioned in December 1974 in the fighter stream of the IAF, Raha has a rich experience of over 3,400 hours of flying fighter aircraft of different types. He is an experienced Qualified Flying Instructor and served as Directing Staff at Flying Instructors School, Tambaram (Tamil Nadu) as well as at the Gwalior-based Tactics and Combat Development Establishment. Raha has also served as the Military and Air Attaché in the Embassy of India in Ukraine from 1999 to 2001.
In another high-level appointment, lt General Rajan Bakshi will take over as the new Central Command chief at lucknow after incumbent lt General Anil Chait moves to Delhi Chief of Integrated Defence Staff. Chait was looking after rescue operations in Uttarakhand till now and Bakshi will take over the responsibility and visit the State soon after taking over as Central Command chief on Monday.
Bakhshi was commissioned into 17 HORSE in December 1975 and has extensive operational experience in varied appointments in all kinds of terrain configurations.
He has served in all the Strike Corps and commanded an armoured regiment and an armoured brigade as part of an elite armoured division on the Western Front.
lt General Shakti Gurung will assume charge on Monday as the new Military Secretary after incumbent lt General SA Hasnain retires. Commissioned into the Grenadiers Regiment in 1975, Gurung served at various important positions including commanding a corps in the North-East.
lt General Sanjiv Chachra will take over as the new Northern Command chief at Udhampur, after present head lt General KT Parnaik retired on Sunday. Chachra till now was the Western Command chief and lt General Philip Campose will replace him there.