Raipur
Air Marshal Tarun Chaudhry assumed charge as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the Central Air Command on 1 June 2026.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) commissioned Air Marshal Chaudhry into its Fighter Stream in December 1989. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), College of Air Warfare, and National Defence College (NDC).
During his distinguished career, the Air Marshal has held several key operational, staff, and diplomatic appointments. He served as Defence Attaché at the Embassy of India in Sweden, with concurrent accreditation to Norway, Finland, and Denmark.
He also handled important staff assignments at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) and Air Headquarters (Air HQ), specializing in projects, acquisition, and human resource management. Air Marshal Chaudhry led several initiatives focused on capability enhancement and the induction of future technologies into the IAF.
Before assuming command of the Central Air Command, he was serving as the Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters Southern Air Command.
Air Marshal Chaudhry succeeds Air Marshal Balakrishnan Manikantan, who superannuated on 31 May 2026 after completing 40 years of service in the Indian Air Force.
