| Vice Chief of the Air Staff | |
|---|---|
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 Indian Air Force | |
| Abbreviation | VCAS |
| Reports to | Chief of the Air Staff |
| Seat | Air Headquarters, New Delhi |
| Appointer | ACC |
| First holder | Atma Ram Nanda |
| Deputy | Deputy Chief of the Air Staff |
The Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) is the deputy to the Chief of the Air Staff of India and second-highest ranking officer of the Indian Air Force. The VCAS is a PSO (Principal Staff Officer) at Air Headquarters at New Delhi. In the event that the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) is absent or is unable to perform his duties, the VCAS assumes the duties and responsibilities of the CAS. The VCAS is normally held by an officer of three star rank and is held by an air officer of the rank of Air Marshal.[1]
The current VCAS is Air Marshal Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar. He succeeded Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh to the post on 3 October 2024. As Vice Chief, Air Marshal SP Dharkar will directly be in charge of IAF's ongoing capability build-up and visualizing its future technology requirements.[2]
- ^ "India Strategic – The authoritative monthly on Defence and Strategic Affairs". indiastrategic.in. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- ^ "Air Marshal Sandeep Singh AVSM VM assumes the Appointment of Vice Chief of the Air Staff". PIB. 13 October 2021.