Air Marshal Singh is the Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
New Delhi: Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh, a 58-year-old fighter pilot with more than 5,000 hours of flying experience, will take over the reins of the Indian Air Force when the incumbent chief V R Chaudhari retires on September 30, sources confirmed to the Hindustan Times. Air Marshal Singh is the Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
The government has appointed Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh, PVSM, AVSM, presently serving as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, as the next Chief of the Air Staff, in the rank of Air Chief Marshal, with effect from the afternoon of September 30,” the defense ministry said.
Procurement of new fighter fleets and moving ahead with the modernization agenda of the force would naturally be high on the list of priorities of Air Marshal Singh, the new Chief of the Air Staff, in view of the fast-changing regional security landscape, including challenges along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
The number of the IAF’s fighter squadrons has come down to around 30 as against the authorized strength of at least 42.
Air Warrior played a key role in IAF’s hosting of the multinational wargame ‘Tarang Shakti’ recently.
Known as a fine strategist, Air Marshal Singh, in a message to the DRDO and other agencies apparently over delays in delivery of Tejas jets and other military systems, said publicly at an event in July that self-reliance in defense cannot be at the cost of national security.
Born on 27 October 1964, Air Marshal Singh was commissioned into the fighter pilot stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1984.
He has held various command, staff, instructional, and foreign appointments during nearly four decades of long, glorious service.
A graduate of the National Defense Academy, Defense Services Staff College, and National Defense College, Air Officer is a qualified flying instructor and experimental test pilot who has flown over 5,000 hours of actual flying in a variety of aircraft: fixed wing as well as rotary wing.
