Air chief marshal (India)

Air chief marshal is a four-star air officer rank in the Indian Air Force. It is the highest active rank in the Indian Air Force. Air chief marshal ranks above the three-star rank of air marshal and below the five-star rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force, which is largely a war-time or ceremonial rank.

Air chief marshal
Flag of an air chief marshal
Shoulder Board
Rank Insignia of an Air Chief Marshal
Country India
Service branch Indian Air Force
AbbreviationACM
RankFour-star rank
Next higher rankMarshal of the Indian Air Force
Next lower rankAir marshal
Equivalent ranksGeneral (Army)
Admiral (Navy)

The rank is held by the Chief of the Air Staff, the professional head of the Indian Air Force. The rank may also be held by the Chief of Defence Staff when the holder is a serving Indian Air Force officer.

Rank holders

The current and only air chief marshal in the Indian Armed Forces is the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). The equivalent rank in the Indian Army is general and in the Indian Navy is admiral.

The Chief of the Air Staff, ACM V R Chaudhari in uniform

History

The Indian Air Force inherited the rank of air chief marshal from the RAF. While the RAF air officers in command of RAF India were normally of a lower rank, Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt was promoted to the rank in 1937, towards the end of his tenure as Air Officer Commanding RAF India.[1] Additionally, at the height of World War II, Sir Richard Peirse, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of RAF India was also promoted to the rank.[2]

After India gained independence, the Royal Indian Air Force and then Indian Air Force, continued to use the rank on paper. The rank of the Chief of the Air Staff was upgraded from air marshal to Air Chief Marshal in 1966. The first IAF officer to hold this rank was Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh (later promoted to the five-star rank of marshal of the Indian Air Force) who was promoted to the rank in 1966 while he served as the Chief of the Air Staff.[3][4] Post 1966, all the air chiefs have held the rank.

Insignia

The flag of an Air chief marshal is sky blue with the national flag in the canton, the roundel in lower fly, and the Indian Air Force badge in upper fly. The badges of rank consist of three sky blue bands (each on a slightly wider navy blue band) over a sky blue band on a navy blue broad band. An air chief marshal wears gorget patches which are blue patches with four white stars and additional oak leaves under them. In addition to this, the blue grey terrywool tunic has four sleeve stripes consisting of a broad band with three narrower bands.[5]

Appointment and term length

Appointments to the office of Chief of the Air Staff are made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, which is chaired by the Prime Minister of India.

The term length of the Chief of the Air Staff is three years or until the age of 62 of the holder, whichever is earlier.[6][7]

Order of precedence

An air chief marshal ranks at number 12 on the Indian order of precedence, along with the CDS and the chiefs of staff of the Indian Army and Indian Navy (the COAS and the CNS).[8] An air chief marshal is at pay level 18, equivalent to Cabinet Secretary of India (at number 11 on the warrant of precedence), with a monthly pay of ₹250,000 (US$3,500).[9][10]

See also

References
  1. "Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt". rafweb.org. 23 July 2018.
  2. "Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Peirse". rafweb.org. 26 July 2019.
  3. "Marshal of The Air Force | Indian Air Force | Government of India". indianairforce.nic.in.
  4. "Arjan". Archived from the original on 27 March 2008. Retrieved 4 April 2008.
  5. "Uniform | Indian Air Force | Government of India". indianairforce.nic.in.
  6. DelhiDecember 29, Manjeet Singh Negi New; December 29, Manjeet Singh Negi New; Ist, Manjeet Singh Negi New. "Maximum age limit for Chief of Defence Staff put at 65". India Today.
  7. Gurung, Shaurya Karanbir (29 December 2019). "Government amends rules to allow Chief of Defence Staff to serve up to maximum age of 65 years". The Economic Times.
  8. "President's Secretariat" (PDF). Office of the President of India. Rajya Sabha. 1979-08-26. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  9. "Report of the Seventh Central Pay Commission" (PDF). 20 November 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2015.
  10. DelhiJune 29, India Today Web Desk New; June 29, India Today Web Desk New; Ist, India Today Web Desk New. "7th Pay Commission cleared: What is the Pay Commission? How does it affect salaries?". India Today.
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