New Delhi, August 18
The Indian Air Force (IAF) today filled the post of the Vice-Chief of Air Staff, which was lying vacant for the past 15 days, with Air Marshal Ajit Bhavnani, currently heading the strategic forces command (SFC), taking over the post at the Air Headquarters.

At a function to announce the coming together of the National Geographic Channel and the IAF, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi said, “the government has given its approval and I have signed the necessary orders ”.

Air Marshal Bhavnani has started functioning in his new post from today, though he will formally begin his tenure formally from Monday, the Air Chief added.

Responding to a query on what had caused the delay in announcing the nomination for this vital post, the Air Chief said that there had been “certain problems”, but did not elaborate. The post had been lying vacant ever since Air Marshal S.K. Malik retired on July 31.

The post of Deputy Chief of Air Staff is also lying vacant since mid-May, when Air Marshal J.S. Gujral left to take over as AOC-in-C of the Central Air Command, succeeding Air Marshal Raghu Rajan, who had retired. Reports here suggested that even though there were no formal orders from the government about filling the post, but the Air Marshal had been fulfilling the duties of the Vice-Chief for the past few days as an “internal arrangement”.