core sector communique

Air Marshal D C Kumaria to take over as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff on 01 Jun 2012

Air Marshal DC Kumaria, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, the most vital Operational Command of the IAF, would assume charge as the new Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) at Air Headquarters on 01 Jun 2012. Having done his early schooling from Rashtriya Indian Military College(RIMC), Dehradun he went on to join the Khadakwasla, located National Defence Academy (NDA) and was commissioned into the Fighter Stream of the Indian Air Force on 02 Jun 1973. Early in his career he flew all variants of the MiG-21 aircraft, and was among the first batch of fighter pilots chosen to convert on the Jaguar aircraft in the United Kingdom. He also underwent the Qualified Weapon Instructor (QWI) course in UK, as well as the Instrument Rating Instructor and Examiner (IRIE) and the Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) Course, with a tenure as a Directing Staff at Tactics and Combat Development Establishment(TACDE) at Gwalior. A graduate of Defence Services Staff College(DSSC), Wellington, he has held various important Field and Staff appointments. He has commanded a front-line Jaguar Squadron specialising in Maritime Strike role and a major Fighter Base, where he was responsible for the operationalisation of air-to-air refuelling on IAF’s fighter aircraft, Staff Officer to the Chief of the Air Staff and Air I at Headquarters, Western Air Command, Principle Director of Concept Studies at Air Headquarters where he had been especially selected to write the Air Power Doctrine of the Indian Air Force. He was the first Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Operations (Space) at Air Headquarters and on elevation to the rank of Air Marshal he was appointed as the first Director General Air (Operations) at Air Headquarters. He was the Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) at South Western Air Command prior to taking over the command of the New Delhi based Western Air Command. His foreign assignments include serving as the Assistant Defence Advisor (Air) at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, Bangladesh and as the Defence Attaché at the Indian Embassy in Rome (Italy) with concurrent accreditation to the Iberian countries. He was awarded Vayu Sena Medal in 1983, Vishisht Seva Medal in 1996, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in Jan 2007 and Param Vishisht Seva Medal in Jan 2012 .He was appointed as Honourary Aide De Camp (Air) to the Hon’ble President of India on 01 Sep 2011.