Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar

Air Marshal

Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar

PVSM, AVSM
Air Marshal ; Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar; PVSM, AVSM
Allegiance	India
Service/branch	Indian Air Force
Years of service	14 June 1985 - Present
Rank	Air Marshal
Service number	17841
Unit	No. 31 Squadron
Commands held	Eastern Air Command ; Defence Space Agency
Awards	Param Vishisht Seva Medal ; Ati Vishisht Seva Medal

Last updated February 22, 2023

Air Marshal Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar, PVSM, AVSM is an officer in the Indian Air Force. He is currently serving as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command. He assumed the office on 1 October 2022. Previously, he served as the Senior Air Staff Officer of South Western Air Command, Gandhinagar.^[2]

Early life and education

Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar is a graduate of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and an alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy, Khadagwasla. He is an alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun and USAF Air War College, Montgomery.

He has instructional experience in conducting Professional Military Education for medium and senior level officers at the Defence Services Staff College and at the College of Air Warfare, Secunderabad.

Career

Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force on 14 June 1985. He has flying experience of over 3,600 hours on a variety of fighter aircraft.^[3]

Air Marshal SP Dharkar is a Qualified Flying Instructor, Fighter Strike Leader and Instrument Rating Instructor & Examiner and has also been an Air Force Examiner. During his illustrious career, he has commanded a front line fighter squadron and a Fighter Flying Training Establishment and has also instructional experience in conducting Professional Military Education at the DSSC and at the College of Air Warfare, Secunderabad.^[4]

He has significant experience in ground attack / strike roles, predominantly on the MiG-23 and MiG-27 aircraft.^[4]

As an Air Vice Marshal, he served as the first Director General of the Defence Space Agency.^[5]

As an Air Marshal, he served as the Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) of South Western Air Command from 1 November 2021 till 30 September 2022.^[1]

He assumed the charge of Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command on 1 October 2022 succeeding Air Marshal Dilip Kumar Patnaik.^[6]

Honours and decorations

During his career, Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2014 and Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2023.^[1]^[7]

Param Vishisht Seva Medal	Ati Vishisht Seva Medal	Special Service Medal	Operation Vijay Medal
Operation Parakram Medal	Sainya Seva Medal	High Altitude Medal	75th Independence Anniversary Medal
50th Independence Anniversary Medal	30 Years Long Service Medal	20 Years Long Service Medal	9 Years Long Service Medal

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References

1 2 3 4 "Air Marshal Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar". Bharat Rakshak. 2022-12-29.
↑ "SP Dharkar new chief of IAF Eastern Air Command". India Today. 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
↑ "SP Dharkar Appointed New Chief Of IAF's Eastern Air Command". North-East Today. 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
1 2 "Eastern Air Command - IAF". Indian Air Force. 2022-12-29. Archived from the original on 2022-12-29.
↑ "Defence Space Agency will be based at Bengaluru". Deccan Chronicle. 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
↑ "Air Marshal Dharkar is the new Eastern Air Commander". Asian Age. 2022-10-01.
↑ "President approves 412 Gallantry awards and other defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel on Republic Day" (Press release). PIB. 2023-01-25.

Military offices
Preceded by Dilip Kumar Patnaik	Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command 1 October 2022 – Present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Sreekumar Prabhakaran	Senior Air Staff Officer - South Western Air Command 1 November 2021 – 30 September 2022	Succeeded by Ashutosh Dixit
Preceded by Post Established	Director General - Defence Space Agency 1 November 2019 – 9 June 2021	Succeeded by Dhananjay Vasant Khot

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[spdhar_br-1] 1 2 3 4 "Air Marshal Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar". Bharat Rakshak. 2022-12-29.

[aoc-eac-2] "SP Dharkar new chief of IAF Eastern Air Command". India Today. 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2022-12-29.

[3] "SP Dharkar Appointed New Chief Of IAF's Eastern Air Command". North-East Today. 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2022-12-29.

[eac-iaf-4] 1 2 "Eastern Air Command - IAF". Indian Air Force. 2022-12-29. Archived from the original on 2022-12-29.

[5] "Defence Space Agency will be based at Bengaluru". Deccan Chronicle. 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2022-12-29.

[6] "Air Marshal Dharkar is the new Eastern Air Commander". Asian Age. 2022-10-01.

[7] "President approves 412 Gallantry awards and other defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel on Republic Day" (Press release). PIB. 2023-01-25.

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