NEW DELHI, Sept 30: Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, a highly experienced fighter pilot with over 5,000 flying hours, took over as the new Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday. He succeeds Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari, who served as the head of the IAF for three years before retiring. Prior to this, Air Chief Marshal Singh held the position of Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
Born on October 27, 1964, Air Chief Marshal Singh was commissioned into the fighter pilot stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1984. Throughout his nearly 40-year career, he has held numerous command, staff, instructional, and international roles. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College, and National Defence College, he is a qualified flying instructor and experimental test pilot, having flown a wide range of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.
Among his key achievements, Air Chief Marshal Singh has commanded an operational fighter squadron and a frontline air base. He led the MiG-29 upgrade project management team in Moscow and served as the Project Director (Flight Test) at the National Flight Test Centre, where he was responsible for testing the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. His leadership comes at a time when the IAF faces delays in the delivery of the LCA Tejas-Mark 1A variant from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
During his distinguished career, Air Chief Marshal Singh has held several important positions, including Air Defence Commander at South Western Air Command, Senior Air Staff Officer at Eastern Air Command, and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command. Before his promotion to Air Chief, he was the Vice Chief of the Air Staff from February of last year.
For his outstanding service, Air Chief Marshal Singh has been honored with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. Known for his dedication to fitness, he is also an avid squash player, balancing his professional responsibilities with personal discipline as he steps into this crucial role at the helm of the Indian Air Force.