Air Officer In-Charge Maintenance


An Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance is one of the Principal Staff Officer at the Air Headquarters of the Indian Air Force. AOM oversees policy, planning and procurement related to the maintenance and logistics aspects of Indian Air Force to ensure operational readiness and technical reliability.
Senior Officer of the rank of Air Marshal rank hold this office. Currently, Air Marshal  Venkataramanan Rajasekhar AVSM holds the AOM's office.

History

The AOM position was established in the IAF after India's independence in 1947. Before independence, IAF operated under the command of the Royal Air Force. Its logistical framework and maintenance works were all entrenched within RAF. With the IAF transitioning from colonial undertakings and increasingly becoming autonomous, there arose a need for senior leadership that would oversee maintenance, logistics, and technical support. This created the position for an AOM appointment.

Historical evolution

Post-independence (after 1947)

At independence, IAF inherited limited maintenance infrastructure from the British administration. Most operations were centralized and relied on original equipment manufacturers for sourcing of spare parts, technical support, and overhaul. The budding IAF started developing its repair and logistics capabilities, which the foundation for a structure maintenance command.

Organizational expansion (1950s and 1960s)

There was a rapid expansion in IAF's fleet, necessitating the need to establish a dedicated Maintenance Command, Equipment Depots, and Base Repair Depots.

Modernization and technological transition (1970s and 1980s)

With the induction of sophisticated aircraft like the MiG series into IAF, there was demand for the enhancement of technical expertise, especially in logistics and maintenance. There was further increase in the responsibilities of the AOM, including overseeing the BRDs, EDs, and collaborating with other defense organizations like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited as well as the Defense Research and Development Organisation. During the period, there was focus on indigenization and self-reliance in maintenance processes, something the AOM's office spearheaded.

Streamlining and reforms (1990s)

IAF underwent structural reforms aimed at improving its efficiency and reduce the operational costs following India's economic liberalization. This was followed by a growth in AOM's portfolio, incorporating vendor development, life-cycle support, and quality assurance procedures. More emphasis was placed on adopting modern practices in inventory management, which fostered industrial partnerships for maintenance support.

Technological integration and strategic partnerships (2000s–present)

AOM has significantly expanded the scope of its responsibilities to include;
AOM continues to play a pivotal role in ensuring operational readiness and technical reliability for the IAF. It adapts to evolving technologies and strategic requirements in peace and conflict scenarios.

Appointees

The following persons have served as AOMs in India since its inception.
S NoPhotoRankNameTook officeLeft office
1.    Air CommodoreMS Chaturvedi28-05-195831-12-1962
2.  AVMPC Lal DFC01-01-196323-11-1963
3.AVMHN Chatterjee DFC31-12-196331-01-1967
4.   AVMOP Mehra PVSM01-02-196728-02-1968
5.      Air MarshalOP Mehra PVSM01-03-196806-08-1969
6.      Air MarshalYV Malse PVSM07-08-196903-05-1972
7.        Air MarshalMaurice Barker PVSM16-06-197231-03-1973
8.       Air MarshalGB Singh PVSM01-04-197326-11-1974
9.          Air MarshalBSS Bedi PVSM AVSM28-02-197520-07-1976
10.      Air MarshalIW Sabhaney PVSM AVSM21-09-197631-08-1978
11.      Air MarshalCS Naik PVSM AVSM VSM01-09-197831-08-1982
12.      Air MarshalSC Lal PVSM01-09-198231-01-1985
13.   Air MarshalJS Sandha Walia PVSM VSM01-02-198531-01-1986
14.     Air MarshalKS Bhatia PVSM AVSM & Bar02-06-198631-10-1987
15.       Air MarshalS Chakrabarti01-11-198730-04-1989
16.         Air MarshalRK Nehra PVSM VSM08-05-198931-12-1990
17.       AVMAK Mukhopadhayay AVSM01-01-199104-03-1991
18.       Air MarshalAK Mukhopadhayay PVSM AVSM ADC05-03-199131-01-1994
19.        Air MarshalMC Uthaya PVSM ADC01-02-199431-10-1995
20.       Air MarshalG Gururani PVSM AVSM VSM03-11-199531-10-1996
21.      Air MarshalSS Gupta PVSM AVSM VSM ADC01-11-199631-07-1997
22.     AVMPK Ghosh PVSM AVSM VSM01-08-199704-02-1999
23.      Air MarshalPK Ghosh PVSM AVSM VSM05-02-199923-05-1999
24.         Air MarshalTR Janakiraman PVSM AVSM24-05-199931-10-2001
25.      Air MarshalVA Patkar PVSM AVSM VSM01-11-200105-07-2004
26.     Air MarshalKS Chaturvedi PVSM VSM ADC29-10-200415-05-2005
27.   Air MarshalBU Chengappa PVSM AVSM VSM13-06-200531-12-2006
28.   Air MarshalGautam Nayyar PVSM VSM02-01-200730-11-2007
29.     Air MarshalKM Rama Sundara PVSM AVSM VSM01-12-200731-01-2010
30.       Air MarshalAir Mshl J Neri PVSM AVSM VSM01-02-201030-09-2011
31.   Air MarshalRK Vashisht AVSM01-10-201131-03-2012
32.     Air MarshalP Kanakraj PVSM AVSM VSM ADC01-04-201230-06-2013
33.    Air MarshalDS Khajuria AVSM SC01-07-201330-09-2014
34.      Air MarshalJagjeet Singh PVSM VSM ADC01-10-201430-11-2014
35.        Air MarshalSukhchain Singh AVSM VSM01-12-201431-10-2015
36.   Air MarshalVM Khanna PVSM AVSM VSM01-11-201530-04-2016
37.   Air MarshalPP Khandekar AVSM01-05-201631-12-2016
38.  Air MarshalSanjay Sharma AVSM01-01-201728-02-2018
39.     Air MarshalRKS Shera PVSM AVSM VSM ADC01-03-201831-01-2019
40.     Air MarshalJK Singh AVSM VSM01-02-201930-06-2019
41.      Air MarshalS Choudhary PVSM AVSM VSM ADC01-07-201931-12-2019
42.       Air MarshalVibhas Pande PVSM AVSM VSM01-01-202013-06-2022
43.      Air MarshalAlok Singh AVSM VSM01-07-202230-06-2023
44.       Air MarshalCR Mohan AVSM VSM01-07-202331-10-2024
44.    Air MarshalAK Arora AVSM VSM01-11-202431-01-2025
46. Air MarshalVenkataramanan Rajasekhar AVSM01‑02‑202531-08-2025
47.Air MarshalSanjeev Ghuratia AVSM VSM01-09-2025Incumbent