The Union government on Saturday (21.09.2024) announced the appointment of Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh as the next Chief of the Air Staff. Currently posted as the Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Singh will take over on September 30 when the current incumbent Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari retires. The Defence Ministry announced it today by issuing a statement.
A decorated officer and awardees of Param Vishishta Sewa Medal (PVSM) and Ati Vishishta Sewa Medal (AVSM), Singh will be commanding the world’s fourth largest air force.
An accomplished fighter pilot, he is equipped with more than 5,000 hours of flying experience. He possesses vast experience in air warfare while serving in crucial positions like commanding an operational fighter squadron, a frontline airbase and leading the MiG-29 upgrade project management team in Moscow. He has also served as the project director (flight test) at the premier National Flight Test Centre in Bengaluru.
Commissioned into the air force in 1984, Singh has been closely associated with the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) programme. Singh’s appointment as the Chief of the Air Staff has come at a time when the Air Force is aggressively pursuing its modernization campaign and is undertaking reform for the best use of the military’s resources to fight future wars.
