Air Chief Marshal AP Singh Assumes Charge As New Indian Air Force Chief

New Delhi: Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, on Monday assumed charge as new chief of the Indian Air Force, succeeding incumbent Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.

Air Chief Marshal Singh was serving as Vice Chief of the Air Force in his previous assignment.

Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari retired from service after helming the force for three years.

Born on October 27, 1964, Air Chief Marshal Singh was commissioned into the fighter pilot stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1984.

In his long and distinguished service spanning nearly 40 years, he has served in a variety of command, staff, instructional and foreign appointments.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College and National Defence College, the air officer is a qualified flying instructor and an experimental test pilot with more than 5,000 hours of flying experience on a variety of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft.

More Than 5,000 Hours of Flying Experience

Air Chief Marshal Singh has taken command of the IAF amid concerns regarding delays in the delivery of the LCA Tejas-Mark 1A variant by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

He has previously held significant positions, including Air Defence Commander at the South Western Air Command and Senior Air Staff Officer at the Eastern Air Command. Before becoming Vice Chief of the Air Staff in February last year, he served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command.

A recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Air Chief Marshal Singh is also recognized as a fitness enthusiast and enjoys playing squash.

(With inputs from PTI)