Air Marshal Kumaria to take over as IAF Vice Chief

Air Marshal DC Kumaria, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, will assume charge as the new Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) at the Indian Air Force headquarters on Friday. Air Marshal Kumaria is a product the National Defence Academy in Pune and was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 02 June 1973, an Air Force release said.[caption id=“attachment_326400” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Air Marshal DC Kumaria. Image courtesy PIB”]  [/caption] He flew all variants of MiG-21 aircraft, and was among the first batch of fighter pilots chosen to convert on the Jaguar aircraft in the United Kingdom. The officer underwent Qualified Weapon Instructor (QWI) course in UK, the Instrument Rating Instructor and Examiner (IRIE) and Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) Course, with a tenure as a Directing Staff at Tactics and Combat Development Establishment(TACDE) in Gwalior. A graduate of Defence Services Staff College(DSSC), Wellington, Air Marshal Kumaria held various field and staff appointments. He commanded a front-line Jaguar Squadron specialising in maritime strike role and a major fighter base. Air Marshal Kumaria was also the Staff Officer to the Chief of the Air Staff. The air vice chief designate was also especially selected to write the Air Power Doctrine of the Indian Air Force. Air Marshal Kumaria 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. Air Marshal Kumaria’s foreign assignments include serving as the Assistant Defence Advisor (Air) at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, and as the defence attaché at the Indian Embassy in Rome 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 January 2012 .He was appointed as Honourary Aide De Camp (Air) to the President of India on 01 September 2011.