Amar Preet Singh

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix = Air Chief Marshal

| name = Amar Preet Singh

| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=IND|size=90%|PVSM|AVSM}}

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| image = Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh - 2024.jpg

| image_size = 235px

| alt =

| caption =

| office = 28th Chief of the Air Staff

| president = {{ubl|Droupadi Murmu}}

| term_start = 30 September 2024

| term_end =

| predecessor = Vivek Ram Chaudhari

| successor =

| office1 = 47th Vice Chief of the Air Staff

| 1blankname1 = Chief of Air Staff

| 1namedata1 = Vivek Ram Chaudhari

| term_start1 = 1 February 2023

| term_end1 = 30 September 2024

| predecessor1 = Sandeep Singh

| successor1 = Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar

| office2 = Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief
Central Air Command

| 1blankname2 = Chief of Air Staff

| 1namedata2 = Vivek Ram Chaudhari

| term_start2 = 1 July 2022

| term_end2 = 31 January 2023

| predecessor2 = Richard John Duckworth

| successor2 = Ravi Gopal Krishana Kapoor

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|10|27|df=y}}

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nickname =

| birth_place = Delhi, India

| allegiance = {{Country|India}}

| branch = {{Air force|India}}

| serviceyears = 21 December 1984 - Present

| rank = 24px Air Chief Marshal

| military_blank1 = Service Number

| military_data1 = 17695

| unit = No. 22 Squadron

| commands = {{plainlist|

Central Air Command
2 Air Defence Control Centre
No. 22 Squadron

}}

| battles =

| battles_label =

| military_blank2 = Awards

| military_data2 = {{plainlist|

}}

| spouse =

| relations =

| laterwork =

| signature =

| website =

| other_name =

| memorials =

| signature_size =

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| module =

| alma_mater = Air Force Academy

}}

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, PVSM, AVSM is a serving four star air officer of the Indian Air Force. He is the current and 28th Chief of the Air Staff (CAS).{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=30 September 2024 |title=AIR CHIEF MARSHAL AP SINGH TAKES OVER AS THE CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2060477 |access-date=1 October 2024 |website=Press Information Bureau}} He took over as the 28th CAS, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, on 30 September 2024.{{Cite web |last=Service |first=Statesman News |date=2024-09-30 |title=Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh takes charge as new IAF chief |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/india/air-chief-marshal-amar-preet-singh-takes-charge-as-new-iaf-chief-1503348659.html |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=The Statesman |language=en}} He was previously serving as the 47th Vice Chief of the Air Staff.{{cite press release|url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1895380|title=AIR MARSHAL AP SINGH ASSUMES APPOINTMENT OF VICE CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF|publisher=PIB|date=2023-02-01}} He was previously serving as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Air Command,{{cite press release |title=AIR MARSHAL AP SINGH ASSUMES THE APPOINTMENT OF AOC-IN-C CENTRAL AIR COMMAND |date=2022-07-01 |publisher=PIB |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1838613}} prior to that he served as the Senior Air Staff Officer at the Eastern Air Command.{{cite web |date=2022-07-01 |title=Central Air Command - IAF |url=https://indianairforce.nic.in/central-air-command/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730071237/https://indianairforce.nic.in/central-air-command/ |archive-date=2022-07-30 |access-date=2022-07-30 |publisher=Indian Air Force}}

Early life and education

Amar Preet Singh is an alumnus of S.B.M. School, Delhi and later the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Air Force Academy, Dundigal. He is also an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and National Defence College, New Delhi.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-02-01 |title=Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh appointed as Vice Chief of Air Staff |url=https://defencedirecteducation.com/2023/02/01/air-marshal-amar-preet-singh-appointed-as-vice-chief-of-air-staff/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=DDE |language=}}

Military Career

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 21 December 1984 from the Air Force Academy, Dundigal. In a distinguished career spanning across 38 years, he has tenanted various staff and instructional appointments. He has flown a variety of fighter and trainer aircraft with more than 5000 hours of operational flying. He is a Qualified Flying Instructor and an experimental test pilot with service flying on a variety of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. As Wing Commander, he commanded the No. 22 squadron, then made up of the MiG-27 fighter aircraft.{{Cite web |last=Dutta |first=Amrita Nayak |date=2024-09-21 |title=Who is Air Marshal AP Singh, set to be the new Air Chief? |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/air-marshal-amar-preet-singh-appointed-as-next-iaf-chief-9580540/ |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}} He spearheaded the MiG-29 Upgrade Project Management Team at Moscow, Russia and was instrumental in flight testing of the HAL Tejas. He served as the Chief Test Pilot at Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment.

After being promoted to the rank of Air Vice Marshal, he served as the Project Director at National Flight Test Center, Aeronautical Development Agency and as the Air Officer Commanding of 2 Air Defence Control Centre at Gandhinagar.{{cite web |title=Service record - Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh |url=https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/17695 |access-date=2022-07-30 |publisher=Bharat Rakshak}}

After being promoted to the rank of Air Marshal, he was appointed as the Senior Air Staff Officer of the Eastern Air Command at Shillong. A year later, on 1 July 2022, he took over as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Air Command succeeding Air Marshal Richard John Duckworth who superannuated from service on 30 June 2022.{{cite web |date=2022-07-01 |title=Air Marshal AP Singh takes over as CAC chief |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/others/air-marshal-ap-singh-takes-over-as-cac-chief-101656696842443.html |publisher=Hindustan Times}}

On 1 February 2023, Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh took over as the 47th Vice Chief of the Air Staff succeeding Air Marshal Sandeep Singh when the latter superannuated from service on 31 January 2023.{{Cite web |title=Air Marshal AP Singh Takes Charge As Vice Chief Of Indian Air Force |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/air-marshal-ap-singh-takes-charge-as-vice-chief-of-indian-air-force-3743869 |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=NDTV.com}} As VCAS, he was at the forefront of the largest ever multinational Air Exercise Tarang Shakti held in India that was concluded in September 2024. In a significant message on the importance and the efficiency of India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, he flew extensively during the drill including a sortie with VCOAS Lieutenant General N. S. Raja Subramani and VCNS Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan.{{Cite web |date=2024-09-10 |title=Historic flight by Vice Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force in Tejas fighter jet |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/historic-flight-by-vice-chiefs-of-army-navy-and-air-force-in-tejas-fighter-jet-2596844-2024-09-10 |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=India Today |language=en}}

= Chief of the Air Staff =

On 21 September 2024, the Government of India appointed Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh as the next Chief of the Air Staff.{{Cite web |date=2024-09-21 |title=Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh appointed as next Chief of the Air Staff |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2057269 |access-date= |website=PIB}} On 30 September 2024, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh took over as the 28th Chief of the Air Staff succeeding Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari who superannuated after more than four decades of service. In February 2025, during Aero India 2025, Singh criticized Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for delays in delivering of the Tejas fighter aircraft.{{Cite web |last=Shukla |first=Prateek |date=12 February 2025 |title='Just not confident': IAF chief 'frustrated' with HAL over Tejas jets delay |url=https://www.business-standard.com/external-affairs-defence-security/news/iaf-chief-not-confident-hal-tejas-fighter-jet-delivery-delay-aero-india-125021200414_1.html |access-date=1 March 2025 |website=Business Standard}} He has also supported the procurement of indigenously designed defence systems over imports from international companies.{{Cite news |date=28 February 2025 |title=No more hand-me-downs! India gears up to build 40 fighter jets a year, says IAF chief |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/no-more-hand-me-downs-india-gears-up-to-build-40-fighter-jets-a-year-says-iaf-chief/articleshow/118624712.cms?from=mdr |access-date=1 March 2025 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}

Personal life

Air Marshal Singh is a keen squash player. He is married to Mrs Sarita Singh. The couple is blessed with a son and a daughter.{{Cite web |date=2022-01-07 |title=Air Marshal AP Singh: सेंट्रल एयर कमांड के एओसी-इन-चीफ बने एयर मार्शल एपी सिंह, बमरौली में संभाला कार्यभार |url=https://www.jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/allahabad-city-air-marshal-ap-singh-appointed-as-aoc-in-chief-of-central-air-command-took-charge-in-bamrauli-22854384.html |publisher=Jagran |language=Hindi}}

Awards and decorations

During his career, he has been awarded with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2019{{cite web |date=2019-01-25 |title=Distinguished Service and Gallantry Awards to IAF Personnel on Republic Day 2019 |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1561462}} and Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2023.{{cite press release|url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1893742|title=President approves 412 Gallantry awards and other defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel on Republic Day|publisher=PIB|date=2023-01-25}}

style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

| colspan="4" |{{Ribbon devices|ribbon=Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|ribbon=Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|ribbon=IND_Special_Service_Medal_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|ribbon=IND_Operation_Vijay_medal.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|ribbon=IND_Operation_Parakram_medal.svg|width=106}}

{{Ribbon devices|ribbon=IND_Sainya_Seva_Medal_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|ribbon=IND_High_Altitude_Medal_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|ribbon=IND_Videsh_Seva_Medal_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|ribbon=75yearmedal.svg|width=106}}

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 30 Years Long Service Ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|width=106}}

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

|Param Vishisht Seva Medal

|Ati Vishisht Seva Medal

Samanya Seva Medal

|Special Service Medal

|Operation Vijay Medal

|Operation Parakram Medal

Sainya Seva Medal

|High Altitude Medal

|Videsh Seva Medal

|75th Independence Anniversary Medal

50th Independence Anniversary Medal

|30 Years Long Service Medal

|20 Years Long Service Medal

|9 Years Long Service Medal

Dates of rank

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!Insignia

!Rank

!Component

!Date of rank

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|Pilot Officer

|Indian Air Force

|21 December 1984

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|Flying Officer

|Indian Air Force

|21 December 1985

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|Flight Lieutenant

|Indian Air Force

|21 December 1989

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|Squadron Leader

|Indian Air Force

|21 December 1995

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|Wing Commander

|Indian Air Force

|14 May 2001

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|Group Captain

|Indian Air Force

|05 Nov 2007

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|Air Commodore

|Indian Air Force

|30 Dec 2010

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|Air Vice Marshal

|Indian Air Force

|01 Aug 2016

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|Air Marshal

|Indian Air Force

|1 February 2021 (AOC-in-C from 1 July 2022)

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Air Chief Marshal
(CAS)

Indian Air Force

30 September 2024{{cite web |date=2024-09-21 |title=Air Marshal AP Singh appointed new IAF Chief |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/air-marshal-ap-singh-appointed-new-iaf-chief/ |work=The Tribune}}