New Delhi: Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, an experienced fighter pilot with over 5,000 hours of flying time, took over as the new chief of the Indian Air Force on Monday, succeeding Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari.
Previously, Air Chief Marshal Singh served as the Vice Chief of the Air Force. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari retired after leading the force for three years.
All about India’s new Chief of Air Staff
- Born on October 27, 1964, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh was commissioned into the fighter pilot stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1984.
- With nearly 40 years of distinguished service, he has held various command, staff, instructional, and foreign positions.
- An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College, and National Defence College, Air Chief Marshal Singh is a qualified flying instructor and an experimental test pilot with over 5,000 hours of flying experience on various fixed and rotary-wing aircraft.
- He has commanded an operational fighter squadron and a frontline air base. As a test pilot, he led the MiG-29 upgrade project management team in Moscow. He also served as the project director (flight test) at the National Flight Test Centre, overseeing the flight testing of the Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas.
- Air Chief Marshal Singh has assumed command of the IAF amid concerns about delays in the supply of the LCA Tejas Mark 1A variant to the force by the state-run aerospace giant Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
- The officer has held significant staff positions, including Air Defence Commander at the South Western Air Command and Senior Air Staff Officer at the Eastern Air Command.
- Before taking on the role of Vice Chief of the Air Staff in February of last year, he served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command.
- Air Chief Marshal Singh is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. He is also known for his dedication to fitness and enjoys playing squash.
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