Air Marshal Kishan Kumar Nohwar took over as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff

Veteran fighter pilot Air Marshal Kishan Kumar Nohwar took over as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) on 1 August 2011. He has succeeded Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne who took over as the chief of the Air Staff on 31 July 2011. Prior to being appointed VCAS, Nohwar was commanding the Shillong-based Eastern Air Command. He also served as chief of staff at Andaman and Nicobar tri-services command and deputy commander-in-chief of Strategic Forces Command, and as Senior Air Staff Officer at training command in the past.

Nohwar who is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy was commissioned into the fighter stream on 24 June 1972. With over 3,400 flying hours to his credit, he has flown the MiG-21s and later commanded a MiG-27 squadron. He is also a qualified flying instructor, fighter combat leader, and an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College and Air War College (USA).

His command appointments include Commandant of Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) and Air Officer Commanding of a fighter airbase. His important staff assignments include Chief Operations Officer, Deputy Commandant, College of Air Warfare, Principal Director, Air Staff Inspection and Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Plans).

In the 1999 Kargil conflict, he was the chief operations officer of Gwalior where he used his flight test experience to coordinate the up gradation of the Mirage-2000 aircraft that proved instrumental in the success of the air campaign then.

Nohwar is a Vayu Sena Medal winner and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal awardee. He also received the presidential awards of Athi Vishist Seva Medal, Vayu Sena Medal and Vishist Seva Medal.