Ravi Chaudhary, an Indian American with extensive experience in both the US Air Force and Department of Transportation, has been confirmed by the Senate as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Air Force – one of the highest civilian leadership positions in the Pentagon.
The confirmation received significant support from the Republican party with a 65-29 vote in favor. Chaudhary’s previous roles included Director of Advanced Programs and Innovation at the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space, where he oversaw the execution of advanced development and research programs in support of commercial space transportation.
He also served as executive director of the regions and center operations at the Department of Transportation, where he was responsible for integrating and supporting aviation operations in nine regions. As a C-17 pilot, Chaudhary conducted numerous global flight operations, including combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and served as director of the personnel recovery center at a multi-national corps in Iraq. He was also a flight test engineer responsible for certifying military avionics and hardware for the force’s modernization programs to support flight safety.
Earlier in his career, Chaudhary was involved in supporting space launch operations for the global positioning system (GPS) and overseeing third-stage and flight safety activities to ensure the first GPS constellation’s full operational capability.
Chaudhary, who worked as a systems engineer, played a crucial role in NASA’s International Space Station protection activities, ensuring the safety of NASA Astronauts. During the Obama Administration, he also served as a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, providing counsel to the president on executive branch efforts to improve veterans’ support for the AAPI community.
Mr Chaudhary’s impressive academic background includes a Doctorate in executive leadership and Innovation, which he received from the Georgetown University D.L.S. Program. He also holds an M.S. in Industrial Engineering from St. Mary’s University as a NASA graduate fellow, an M.A. in Operational Arts and Military Science from Air University, and a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
