Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari takes charge as IAF Vice Chief

Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari has taken charge as the new Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force, succeeding Air Marshal SP Dharkar, who superannuated on April 30. Prior to this appointment, Air Marshal Tiwari commanded the IAF’s South Western Air Command at Gandhinagar.

The new Vice Chief of the IAF carries an interesting war-time legacy. He played a key role in operationalising the ‘Litening’ laser designation pod during the Kargil Operations in 1999. The pod, sourced from Israel and installed on IAF jets, marked an invisible beam that served as the path for laser-guided bombs to follow upon launch. This technology significantly enhanced the IAF’s precision targeting capabilities against Pakistani troops occupying mountain heights during the conflict.

Air Marshal Tiwari was also actively involved in the flight testing of the Tejas fighter jet from 2006 to 2009 and again in 2018-19 as Project Director (Flight Test) at National Flight Test Centre. He contributed to the final operational clearance of the Tejas.

A seasoned pilot, Air Marshal Tiwari has flown the Mirage and Tejas fighter jets. He served as a test pilot for the Tejas and held the position of Chief Test Pilot at Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment.

Air Marshal Tiwari completed his schooling at the Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) in Dehradun before joining the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasala. He graduated from the NDA in June 1985 with the President’s Gold Medal and was commissioned as a Fighter Pilot in the IAF in June 1986. With over 3,600 hours of flying experience, he is a Qualified Flying Instructor and an Experimental Test Pilot. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College, USA.