GUWAHATI: Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh has been appointed as the next chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and will take over on September 30, when the current chief, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, retires.
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A distinguished fighter pilot, Air Marshal Singh currently serves as the vice-chief of the IAF and has 40 years of experience in various command and operational roles. Commissioned into the fighter pilot stream in December 1984, he has been in charge of an operational fighter squadron and a frontline air base alongside India's borders.
Notably, he also played a key role in the development and testing of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. He was the Project Director (Flight Test) at the National Flight Test Centre, responsible for flight testing the Tejas. Just 10 days before his appointment, he flew the Tejas fighter jet at Jodhpur during the multi-nation exercise, Tarang Shakti.
Singh has additionally commanded the Central Command in Prayagraj and served as Air Defence Commander at South Western Air Command in Ahmedabad. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College, and National Defence College, he is a qualified flying instructor, with over 5,000 hours of flying experience.
Notably, Singh is the fourth officer from the Sikh community to lead the IAF, following Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh, Air Chief Marshal Dilbagh Singh, and Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa.
