Air Marshal Narmedashwar Tiwari assumed the office of the Vice Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force on 2 May 2025. Air Marshal Tiwari succeeds Air Marshal Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar, who retired as Vice Chief of Air Staff on 30th April 2025.
Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the South Western Air Command before he assumed the office of the new Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
The appointment of Air Marshal Narmedshwar Tiwari is the second significant appointment in the defence sector by the central government after the appointment of Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command of the Indian Army.
Air Marshal Narmedashwar Tiwari was commissioned in the Indian Air Force as a Fighter Pilot in June 1986. He completed his schooling at the Rashtriya Indian Military College in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
He passed from the National Defence Academy, Kahdkwasla, Pune, Maharashtra with the President's Gold Medal in 1985. He is also a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College, USA
Air Marshal Tiwari is a Qualified Flying Instructor and an Experimental Test Pilot.
He was the Directing Staff at the IAF Test Pilots' School and the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, Tamil Nadu.
He was involved in the flight testing of the indigenously built light combat aircraft (LCA), Tejas. As the Project Director (Flight Test) at the National Flight Test Centre, he played a crucial role in the Final Operational Clearance of the aircraft. After this clearance the LCA was considered airworthy and was later inducted in the Indian Air Force.
Honour
During his illustrious career in the Indian Air Force ,Air Marshal Narmedashwar Tiwari has been awarded various medals. He was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2008, Presidential Award of Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2025 and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2022.
The Indian Air Force was established during British rule on 8 October 1932 as the Royal Indian Air Force.
It was renamed as the Indian Air Force in January 1950 after the country gained independence on 15th August 1947.
First Chief of the indian Air Force -Air Marshal Sir Thomas Walker Elmhirst
First Indian - Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee (On 01 April 1954- 8 November 1960).
Current and 28th Chief- Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh.
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