Arup Raha to be new Vice Chief of Air Force

New Delhi (PTI): Veteran fighter pilot Air Marshal Arup Raha will take over as Vice Chief of Air Staff succeeding Air Marshal D C Kumaria, who retired on Sunday. Raha, who is a front runner for the post of Air Chief after retirement of Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne in December- end, is currently commanding IAF's sword-arm Western Air Command here. He will take over as Vice Chief of Air Staff tomorrow, Western Air Command PRO Gp Capt Sandeep Mehta said. Commissioned in December 1974 in the fighter stream of the IAF, he has a rich experience of over 3,400 hours of flying fighter aircraft of different types. He is an experienced Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI). He has served as Directing Staff at Flying Instructors School, Tambaram (Tamil Nadu) as well as at the Gwalior-based Tactics and Combat Development Establishment of the IAF. Raha has also served as the Military and Air Attach� in the Embassy of Indiain in Ukraine from 1999 to 2001.