Air Marshal R K Sharma retires

Vice Chief of the Air Staff Ravi Kant Sharma retired today after 40 years of service.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, he was commissioned in the IAF in June 1975 as a fighter pilot, a defence ministry statement here said.
During his distinguished career, Sharma commanded a Combat Squadron of the IAF, the Air Force Test Pilot School, Prototype Test Squadron at Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) and a major Air Force base.
A graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, he has been the Project Director (Flight Test) of the Light Combat Aircraft project. The officer also served abroad as a Defence Attache, a statement said.

He had earlier held the appointments of Assistant Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (Financial Planning), Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Plans), Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command.