Richard John Duckworth

Air Marshal Richard John Duckworth AVSM, VSM
Allegiance	India
Service / branch	Indian Air Force
Years of service	28 May 1983 - 30 June 2022[1]
Rank	Air Marshal
Service number	17136[1]
Unit	No. 23 Squadron
Commands	Central Air Command Air Officer-in-Charge Personnel
Awards	Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Vishisht Seva Medal

Air Marshal Richard John Duckworth, AVSM, VSM is a retired officer of the Indian Air Force. He served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Central Air Command. He assumed the office on 1 July 2021 succeeding Air Marshal Amit Tiwari.^[2][3] Previously he served as Air Officer in charge Personnel at Air Headquarters Vayu Bhawan in New Delhi and Senior Air Staff Officer for the Western Air Command and Central Air Command.^[4][5][6]

Career

Richard John Duckworth was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force on 29 May, 1983. In a distinguished career spanning 38 years, he has flown a variety of fighter and trainer aircraft with more than 3000 hours of operational flying.^[5]

With a long career of 38 years, he has commanded a front line fighter aircraft squadron and a fighter base. As an Air Vice Marshal, he served as the Assistant Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Technical Intelligence). He is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.^[7]

He is a Qualified Flying Instructor and has flown MiG-21 and MiG-29 fighter aircraft and has commanded a Mig-21 squadron on a front line base.^[7][1]

He superannuated on 30 June, 2022 and was succeeded by Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh.^[8]

Honours and decorations

During his career, Richard John Duckworth was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) in 2008 and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2021.^[9]

Ati Vishisht Seva Medal

Vishisht Seva Medal

References

1. "Service record - Air Marshal Richard John Duckworth". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
2. "Central Air Command - BRF". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
3. "Rapid Turnover in IAF Brass". Bharat Shakti. 2021-05-29.
4. "Air Marshal RJ Duckworth takes over as Senior Air Staff Officer, Western Air Command, IAF". 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
5. "Air Marshal RJ Duckworth takes over as AOP at Air Headquarters Vayu Bhawan". PIB. 2020-10-01.
6. "Air marshal RJ Duckworth assumes command of CAC". Times Of India. 2021-07-01.
7. "Air Marshal RJ Duckworth takes charge of crucial air command at Pakistan border". Defenstar. 2019-12-16.
8. "AIR MARSHAL AP SINGH ASSUMES THE APPOINTMENT OF AOC-IN-C CENTRAL AIR COMMAND" (Press release). PIB. 2022-07-01.
9. "President Shri Ram Nath Kovind approves 455 Gallantry & other defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel on Republic Day". 2011-01-25.

Military offices
Preceded by Amit Tiwari	Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Air Command 1 July 2021 - 30 June 2022	Succeeded by Amar Preet Singh
Preceded by Amit Dev	Air Officer-in-Charge Personnel 1 October 2020 - 30 June 2021	Succeeded by Suraj Kumar Jha
Preceded by Diptendu Choudhury	Senior Air Staff Officer - Western Air Command 16 Dec 2019 - 30 Sep 2020	Succeeded by Vikram Singh
Preceded by Devendra Singh Rawat	Senior Air Staff Officer - Central Air Command 1 May 2019 - 15 Dec 2019	Succeeded by Vipin Indira Panabhan Nayar