Air Marshal Chandrashekharan Hari Kumar AVSM, VSM, VM |
|
---|---|
Allegiance | India |
Service/branch | Indian Air Force |
Years of service | 14 December 1979 - Current |
Rank | Air Marshal |
Commands held |
Western Air Command Eastern Air Command |
Awards |
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Vishisht Seva Medal Vayu Sena Medal |
Spouse(s) | Devika |
Air Marshal Chandrashekharan Hari Kumar, AVSM, VSM, VM is Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force and assumed the office on 1 January 2017 from Air Marshal Shirish Baban Deo.
Kumar is an alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College, Defense Service Staff College, Wellington and National Defense College, New Delhi.
Kumar was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 14 December 1979. He has clocked over 3300 hours of flying and is a qualified flying instructor. He held several key operational and administrative appointments at various stages of his service including Fighter Combat Leader of a MiG-21 squadron; Commander of a front line fighter base; Ops-1A; Air-I at HQ WAC; Deputy Director Air Staff Inspection; Director Operations (Joint Planning); Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Operations (Offensive) at Air HQ; Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) at HQ South Western Air Command; instructor at Fighter Training Wing (FTW), Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) and College of Air Warfare (CAW). He was the AOC-in-C Eastern Air Command prior to his appointment as AOC-in-C Western Air Command.
Kumar has been awarded several medals: the CAS commendation (October 1997), the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (January 2016), the Vishisht Seva Medal (January 2015), and the Vayu Sena Medal (January 2011).