THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, September 21: The government announced on Saturday that Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh will succeed Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari as the next chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), with Chaudhari set to retire on September 30.
In appointing Air Marshal Singh, a fighter pilot commissioned in December 1984, as the next IAF chief, the government followed the principle of seniority.
Before being appointed vice-chief in February last year, Air Marshal Singh held several key command and staff positions.
Also Read- Jharkhand Weather: Light rain forecast in few places today
Prior to that, he served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command in Prayagraj.
A qualified flying instructor and experimental test pilot, Air Marshal Singh has logged over 5,000 flying hours across various aircraft and helicopters. Throughout his career, he has commanded an operational fighter squadron and a frontline air base.
As a test pilot, he led the MiG-29 fighter upgrade project management team in Moscow and served as the project director (flight test) for the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft.