Air Chief Marshal AP Singh Takes Charge As New Chief Of Indian Air Force — WATCH

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, a veteran fighter pilot with 40 years of experience, has taken charge as the Chief of the Indian Air Force, succeeding Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari.

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari handed over command of the Indian Air Force today to Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh.

Source : X/@@IAF_MCC

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, a highly accomplished fighter pilot with over 5,000 hours of flying experience, assumed command as the new Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday, succeeding Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari. The transition comes as Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari retired after leading the force for three years.

The Ministry of Defence shared a video showing Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari handing over command of the IAF to Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh.

Air Chief Marshal A P Singh took over as new Chief of the Air Staff on September 30, 2024. He has succeeded Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari who superannuated today after completing his tenure of three years. pic.twitter.com/hoXEmHKytE

— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) September 30, 2024

Air Chief Marshal Singh's Career With IAF Spans 4 Decades

Born on 27 October 1964, Air Chief Marshal Singh was commissioned into the fighter pilot stream of the IAF in December 1984. His distinguished career, spanning nearly four decades, has seen him serve in numerous command, staff, instructional, and foreign assignments. Notably, he is an alumnus of prestigious institutions such as the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College, and National Defence College.

In his illustrious career, Singh has gained expertise as both a qualified flying instructor and an experimental test pilot. He has logged over 5,000 hours flying a diverse range of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. His operational command experience includes leading a frontline fighter squadron and an airbase. As a test pilot, he headed the MiG-29 upgrade project in Moscow and was the Project Director (Flight Test) at the National Flight Test Centre, overseeing the flight testing of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.

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Taking over the IAF amidst concerns regarding delays in the supply of the LCA Tejas Mark 1A variant by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Air Chief Marshal Singh faces significant challenges in maintaining and modernising the force's capabilities.

His previous roles include Air Defence Commander at the South Western Air Command and Senior Air Staff Officer at the Eastern Air Command. Before assuming his role as Vice Chief of the Air Staff in February 2023, he served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command.

For his exceptional service, Air Chief Marshal Singh has been honoured with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. In addition to his professional achievements, he is known as a fitness enthusiast who enjoys playing squash.