Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh appointed as next Chief of the Air Staff

Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh has been named the new Chief of the Air Staff.
As reported by ANI, Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh, currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, has been appointed the next Chief of the Air Staff in the rank of Air Chief Marshal, effective from the afternoon of September 30, 2024.
He will succeed the current Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, who will be stepping down on the same day.
Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh’s career in the Indian Air Force began on December 21, 1984, when he was commissioned into the fighter stream. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College, and National Defence College, Singh has held various key positions, including Flight Commander and Commanding Officer of a MiG-27 squadron, as well as Air Officer Commanding of an air base.
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He has led the Central Air Command (CAC) and previously served as a Senior Air Staff Officer at the Eastern Air Command. Singh is a qualified Flying Instructor and Experimental Test Pilot, boasting over 4,900 hours of flight experience across various fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. He has also worked in the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment at multiple levels.
Additionally, Singh led the MiG-29 Upgrade Project Management Team in Moscow and served as the Project Director for the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas (Flight Test) at the National Flight Test Centre. He was also the Air Defence Commander at the South Western Air Command.
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In recognition of his distinguished services, Singh was awarded the ‘Ati Vishisht Seva Medal’ by the President of India on Republic Day in 2019.
(With inputs from agencies)