Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh has taken over the reins of the Indian Air Force. The new chief has taken over from Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhri an air force which is at the cusp of transformational changes at both operational level and structural level. Air Chief Marshal Singh through his various roles in the air force is fully equipped to steer the IAF to a future ready force capable of taking on multi-dimensional challenges.
The former Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Air Command has also served as PSO: Ops at Air Headquarters and as a senior staff officer at the Eastern Air Command. His stint at the Eastern Air Command came at a time of heated tensions between India and China. Rafales were also inducted into the Eastern Air Command during this time. Air Marshal Singh has also commanded 2 Air Defence Centre and 15 Wing of the IAF.
One of the biggest and lingering challenges that the air force is facing is the depleting strength of fighter squadrons in terms of numbers. Although the IAF has placed a large order for the Tejas Mark-1A fighter aircraft the order for the additional 180 aircraft is not likely to be completed till the early 2030s. The IAF will have to increase the speed for the procurement of the 114 MRFA deal that will equip 6 squadrons. The IAF is expected to retire two squadrons of the Mig-21 Bisons and three squadrons of the Jaguar deep penetration strike aircraft.
An avid flyer, Air Marshal Singh has over 5,000 flying hours under his belt and is a Qualified Flying Instructor. He has played important roles in projects of national importance such as leading the MiG-29 Upgrade Project Management Team at Moscow.
The prototype of the Tejas Mk 2 will be rolled out by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in 2026. The Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) will test the aircraft. Singh has been the Chief Test Pilot at ASTE and has been a Project Director for testing the Tejas fighter aircraft. His experiences with such critical aspects of self-reliance in defence has the potential to streamline the testing of this promising new aircraft set to enter service in the IAF potentially by the end of the decade. The IAF and DRDO are also refining the next generation fighter for the IAF, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
Another big requirement of the IAF is the procurement of the Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA). These 40-80 transport aircraft will form the backbone of the organisation’s transport fleet. The air force had floated a Request For Information for the same, but is yet to issue a Request For Proposal (RFP) for the same. The air force is replacing 56 Avro-748s with the Airbus C-295s. The IAF is also likely to replace some of the 105 An-32s with the Airbus platform as it provides greater payload capacity then both these aircraft. An-32s are currently being upgraded by the air force.
Besides keeping the air force’s sword sharp, the new air chief will also be presiding over at a time when not only the air force but the entire armed forces will witness a sea change in terms of its operational structure. The biggest of these changes will be theaterisation of the armed forces. A bulk of the foundational work, for theaterisation from the IAF’s perspective, will be completed under the guidance of the new air chief.
Air Chief Marshal Singh, will be the first IAF chief to take over the role after the introduction of the Weapon System’s Branch. This is the first new branch of the IAF that was created after independence. The Weapons Systems School was launched at the Air Force Academy earlier this year. The branch is in its embryonic stage. The branch was raised in an effort to segregate and mainstream roles such as Surface-to-Surface missiles, Surface-to-Air-Missiles, UAV operations and Weapons System Officers for multi-crew combat aircraft and could potentially require these airborne crew to handle unmanned loyal wingmen.
The new branch is perhaps the biggest harbinger of change in the IAF. The air force will soon start acquiring unmanned aircraft such as Ghatak, Predator drones and the Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) family. A lot of the groundwork for these programs that will dictate how these systems are integrated into the air force will be laid down during this crucial tenure.
The IAF is also planning to better integrate Agniveers in its service and along with the sister services will be reviewing the scheme. The review is scheduled to take place after the first batch of Agniveers leave the service. The new IAF chief will also be key in shaping the future of airmen who will further down the road join the fighting force.
