Chief of the Air Staff (Vishwamitra)

Commander of the Royal Vishwamitran Air Force
Rank flag of the Commander
Incumbent Air Chief Marshal Matthew Griffin since 18 June 2021
Member of	Royal Vishwamitran Air Force
Reports to	Minister of Defence
Nominator	Minister of Defence
Appointer	Commander-in-Chief
Inaugural holder	Abrams Wiucki-Dunswed
Formation	14 May 2018 (de facto) 8 March 2021 (de jure)

The Commander of the Air Force is the title of the professional head of the Royal Vishwamitran Air Force. The Air Force Commander assists the Chief of the General Staff. The current Commander of the Air Force is Air Marshal Abrams Wiucki-Dunswed.

History

The position of the Chief of the Air Force was first established unofficially with Anoushkaa Patranabish being appointed as the Air Chief Marshal of the Air Force on 14 May 2018 by the first Supreme Commander Varuna Sriraya soon after the constitutional coup. She was never officially appointed as the Chief of the Air Force or Commander in her capacity as a full air chief marshal. She also relinquished her duties of the Air Chief Marshal following her appointment as a general in the army.

The office of the Commander of the Air Force was officially created on 8 March 2021 with Abrams Wiucki-Dunswed becoming the first office-holder. Since then, the serving air force commanders are to be by convention of the rank of air marshals who are promoted to the rank of full air chief marshals after taking the responsibilities of the Office of the Chief of the General Staff. However, serving commanders can be promoted to the rank of full air chief marshals during active service, in recognition to their services and contributions.

On the 24 August 2021 the position of Commander of the Air Force was renamed to Chief of the Air Staff in a series of reorganisations that also created the Tri-Service Collective Command and abolished the position of Chief of the Defence Staff. This creation of a new command council also facilitated the promotion of the Chief of the Air Staff from Air Marshal to Air Chief Marshal.

Appointment

The Commander of the Air Force is appointed by the Rashtradhyaksh, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Vishwamitran Armed Forces on the advice of the Minister of Defence.

List of commanders of the air force

#	Commanders		Took office	Left office	Term	Notes
1		Air Chief Marshal Lord Abrams Wiucki-Dunswed, 1st Duke of Portanhel PC (b. 2006)	8 March 2021	18 June 2021	7003113700000000000♠3 years, 41 days	First person to serve in the position.
2		Air Chief Marshal Lord Matthew Griffin, Count of Essex GCV C1KP ComL GCCP CLC CSK MFS ADC(H) PC RVAF (b. 2003)	18 June 2021	Incumbent	7003103500000000000♠2 years, 305 days	Second person to serve in the position. Position renamed to "Chief of the Air Staff" during this term.