Air Marshal Praveen Keshav Vohra, UYSM, AVSM, VM is a serving air officer of the Indian Air Force. He is currently serving as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Policy Planning & Force Development). He previously served as Commandant of the Air Force Academy, and prior to that he was Senior Air Staff Officer, Western Air Command. He is also the Commodore Commandant of No. 47 Squadron.
Early life and education The Air marshal is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Air Force Academy, Dundigal. He subsequently attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and the Centre of Defence and Strategic Studies, Canberra, Australia.
Military career He was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 19 December 1987 from the Air Force Academy. In a career spanning over three decades, he has over 3500 hours of flying experience across various fighter jets and has tenanted various staff and instructional appointments. He is a highly experienced fighter pilot, qualified flying instructor and a fighter combat leader who has flown a variety of combat and trainer aircraft and has flown all variants of MiG-21 and the MiG-29. He is a category 'A' qualified flying instructor. He has served as a flying instructor at Flying Instructors School, Tambaram and was a founder member of the Indian Air Force's formation aerobatic team, the Suryakirans' flying the indigenous Kiran Mk-II aircraft. The Air Marshal's operational tenures include being the commanding officer of No. 47 Squadron at Adampur Air Force Station. As a Group Captain, he served as the Director of Joint Operations Planning, as the Director (Opl Plg and Assesstment) and later as the DPO-4 at the Air Headquarters, New Delhi.
As an Air Commodore, he served as the Air Officer Commanding of 9 Wing, Halwara, as the Air Assistant to the Chief of Air Staff and later as the Air Commodore (Opl Plg Assesstment and Strategy). As an Air Vice Marshal, he served as the Air Officer Commanding, Jammu and Kashmir and as the Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Ops, Strategy).
After getting promoted to the rank of Air Marshal, on 1 December 2023, he assumed the appointment of Senior Air Staff Officer, Western Air Command. Later on 1 June 2025, he took over as the Commandant of the Air Force Academy. On 10 March 2026, he assumed the appointment of Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Policy Planning & Force Development) at the headquarters Integrated Defence Staff.
Awards and decorations During his career, the air marshal has been awarded the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal on Independence Day 2025 for his role during Operation Sindoor, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2017 and the Vayu Sena Medal in 2007.
Uttam Yudh Seva MedalAti Vishisht Seva MedalVayu Sena MedalSamanya Seva MedalSiachen Glacier MedalOperation Vijay MedalOperation Parakram MedalSainya Seva MedalHigh Altitude Medal75th Independence Anniversary Medal50th Independence Anniversary Medal30 Years Long Service Medal20 Years Long Service Medal9 Years Long Service Medal
Dates of ranks InsigniaRankComponentDate of rankPilot OfficerIndian Air Force19 December 1987Flying OfficerIndian Air Force19 December 1988Flight LieutenantIndian Air Force19 December 1992Squadron LeaderIndian Air Force19 December 1998Wing CommanderIndian Air Force11 May 2004Group CaptainIndian Air Force1 January 2010Air CommodoreIndian Air Force1 December 2014Air Vice MarshalIndian Air Force1 January 2021Air MarshalIndian Air Force1 December 2023
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