Air Chief Marshal AP Singh assumed the role of Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday, succeeding Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, who retired after three years in the top position. Prior to taking on this role, he had been serving as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff since February 2023.
Air Chief Marshal Singh, 59, is a seasoned fighter pilot with over 5,000 hours of flying experience. He joined the Air Force in 1984 and has since served in various command, staff, instructional, and foreign roles during his nearly 40-year career. Additionally, he has led an operational fighter squadron and a front line air base.
Air Chief Marshal A P Singh took over as new Chief of the Air Staff on September 30, 2024. He has succeeded Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari who superannuated today after completing his tenure of three years. pic.twitter.com/hoXEmHKytE
— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) September 30, 2024
As a test pilot, he led the MiG-29 Upgrade Project Management Team in Moscow, Russia. He was also the Project Director (Flight Test) at the National Flight Test Centre and was tasked with flight testing the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas. He has held important staff appointments as Air Defence Commander at South Western Air Command and Senior Air Staff Officer at Eastern Air Command. Prior to assuming the position of Vice Chief of the Air Staff, he was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command.
He has taken over leadership of the air force at a time when it is upgrading its capabilities with locally manufactured military equipment. There are concerns about delays in the delivery of the LCA Tejas-Mark 1A variant to the force by the state-owned aerospace giant Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). One of the new Air Chief’s main focuses will be to address the declining fighter strength of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and to support the development of the 5th generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
Strengthening the fighting capability of the IAF is the top priority for the new Chief. Currently, the IAF has 30 fighter squadrons, including two squadrons of the MiG 21 Bison, which will be phased out next year, resulting in a further reduction of numbers. This, combined with the delay in delivery of the Tejas MK1A, poses a serious challenge for the force.
In addition, the armed forces are working towards theaterization, a long-awaited reform aimed at optimizing the military’s resources for future warfare. Furthermore, the country is currently facing a prolonged military standoff with China in the Ladakh sector, which presents a significant challenge.
Ravi Shankar
