Air Marshal Amar Preet Singhto be new Chief of Air Staff

 

 

AIR Marshal Amar Preet Singh, a fighter pilot with more than 5,000 hours of flying experience, will take charge as the chief of the Indian Air Force after incumbent Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari retires on September 30. Air Marshal Singh is currently serving as 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 Defence Ministry said. As Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Singh’s priorities are expected to be the procurement of new fighter fleets and advancing the modernisation agenda of the force in view of the fast-evolving 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 authorised strength of at least 42. Theairwarriorplayedakey role in the IAF’s hosting of the multinational wargame ‘Tarang Shakti’ recently. Knownas a fine strategist, Air Marshal Singh, in a message to the DRDO and other agencies apparently over delaysindeliveryofTejasjets and other military systems, said publicly at an event in July that self-reliance in defencecannotbeatthecost of national security. BornonOctober 27, 1964, Air Marshal Singh was commissioned into the fighter pilot streamoftheIndian Air Force in December 1984.

 

In his long and distinguished service spanning nearly40years,hehasserved in a variety of command, staff, instructional and foreign appointments. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College and National DefenceCollege, theairofficer 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. The officer has commanded an operational fightersquadronandafrontline air base. Asatest pilot, he led the MiG-29 upgrade project management team in Moscow. He was also the ProjectDirector(FlightTest) at the National Flight Test Centre and was tasked with flighttestingofthelightcombat aircraft, Tejas. AirMarshalSinghhasheld important staff appointments of Air Defence Commander at the South Western Air Command and SeniorAir StaffOfficer atthe Eastern Air Command. Prior to assuming the charge of Vice Chief of the AirStaffinFebruarylastyear, he was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command. The air marshal is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.