<Tr> <Th> Deputy </Th> <Td> Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Shirish Baban Deo </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Salary </Th> <Td> ₹ 250,000 (US $3,700) monthly </Td> </Tr> <P> Chief of the Air Staff is the professional head and the commander of the Indian Air Force . The position is abbreviated as CAS in the Indian Air Force cables and communication, and is usually held by a four - star air officer of the rank Air Chief Marshal . The current CAS is Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa who took office on 31 December 2016, following the retirement of Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha . </P> <P> The position was held by an Air Commodore (1919--1923), by an Air Vice-Marshal (1923--1929) and by an Air Marshal (1929--1965). In 1966, the position was upgraded to that of an Air Chief Marshal . The highest rank in the India's IAF is Marshal of the Air Force, which is conferred by the President of India only in exceptional circumstances . It has only been given once in January 2002 to Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh . This is a five - star rank and is equivalent to a Field Marshal in the Army and Admiral of the Fleet in the Navy . </P>

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