Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh to take over as new Air Force chief; all you need to know

The government has appointed Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh, currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, as the next Chief of the Air Staff. He will assume the rank of Air Chief Marshal on the afternoon of September 30, 2024, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC, who is set to retire on the same day.

Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh became the 47th Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force on February 1, 2023, and his service in the IAF dates back to his commissioning into the fighter stream on December 21, 1984. Prior to leading the Central Air Command (CAC), he was the Senior Air Staff Officer at the Eastern Air Command.

A graduate of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, and National Defence College, Singh has held several key positions, including Flight Commander and Commanding Officer of a MiG-27 squadron, as well as Air Officer Commanding of an air base.

Throughout his career, Singh has been recognized for his distinguished service, receiving the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2019 and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2023.