“The world must learn from India on how to start and end a conflict quickly.”
-Indian Air Chief
How many of us still remember the images shared by the Indian media whereby the Indian Air Chief A.P. Singh is chivalrously sitting and attentively listening to the then ongoing discussions for Op. Sindoor? Or how many of us still remember when Air Chief Marshal Singh literally listed down the areas or spheres whereby the Indian Air Force needs to level up and improve, without mincing any words? Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, quite undoubtedly referred to as the Air Chief, that India always wanted, is that one person who has taken the whole defense world by a storm. Positively, of course.
Currently serving as the 28th Chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Singh assumed his charge to this important post on 30th September, 2024. Air Chief Singh took over the charge from the then Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhary, who retired on the said date. Commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 21 December 1984, the Air Chief is an alumnus of the National Defense Academy (NDA). He is additionally the rightful recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM). Air Marshal Singh is also a distinguished alumnus of the Defense Services Staff College (DSSC) and the National Defense College (NDC).
A qualified Flying Instructor and an exceptional, as well as an experienced Experimental Test Pilot, Air Marshal Singh has a distinguished record of more than 5000 hours of service flying on myriad and a variety of fixed and rotary wing aircraft. This shows that India is in the most virtuous, experienced, and righteous hands when it comes to the Indian Air Defense. And, indisputably the same was proved during Op. Sindoor as well. The rise of Air Marshal Singh from the humble soil of Delhi, has inspired and continues to inspire generations of Indian Air Force aspirants, instilling in them the virtues of hard work, exceptional virtuosity, mental toughness and lifelong love for the nation.
Air Marshal Singh was born on 27 October 1964 in Delhi, and since his commissioning in the year 1984, Air Marshal Singh has held many important and quintessential responsibilities spanning a number of decades of his career. And for what? And why? All because of the desire of serving the sacred soil of his nation, of literally preserving, protecting and upholding the dignity of his nation, of the Indian Motherland. All because he was instilled with the values of grit, courage, patience, tenacity, hard work, selfless service, compassion, bravery and many more since his very childhood, and all of these toughened up and strengthened him through his years of commissioning and service in the honour of his nation.
Air Chief Marshal A P Singh’s operational tenure includes being the Commanding officer of a MiG 27 Sqn and also being the Air Officer Commanding of a front line air base. Not only this, the Indian Air Force’s official outlet also states that as a test pilot, Air Chief Marshal Singh had also led the MiG 29 Upgrade Project Management Team in Moscow Russia. These exceptional achievements solidify his stance and him, as an authority in the affairs of the Indian Air Force. Air Chief Marshal thus, is not just a soldier dedicated to his motherland, but also an institutional legacy in himself.
As the distinguished Project Director (Flight Test) at the National Flight Test Centre, he looked after the flight test of Tejas. Tejas, is a well known name in the Indian Defense Circles. A much vouched after aircraft of the Indian defense strategic development, Tejas Light Combat Aircraft is a 4.5 generation single seat supersonic multi-role fighter aircraft. And since Air Chief Marshal was the Project Director of the Flight Test of the same, he thus, is in the complete know-how of what is actually defending and protecting india, with a rich experience of not just physical combat roles, but also of the administrative expertise.
Additionally, having held staff appointments of the Air Defense Commander at the HQ South Western Air Command, and Senior Air Staff Officer at the HQ Eastern Command , Air Chief Marshal A P Singh then took over as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command. Before taking over as the 28th Chief of the Air Staff, Air Officer A P Singh also held the appointment as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff. Air Chief Marshal has a blissful personal life as well, as he is wed to Mrs. Sarita Singh, and apart from being a role model in his professional life, also implicitly sends out a message of harmonious balance in both the personal and professional lives of one’s being. An ardent player of squash and extremely fitness conscious, India’s Air Chief Marshal is a personality apart, inspiring millions behind him.
An ardent supporter of indigenously built defense systems, Air Chief Marshal Singh has also called upon the requisite authorities to to collaborate effectively so as to make India achieve the status of superpower in the defense sector. This also lines with the vision of Aatamnirbhar Bharat, which has proved to be backbone of the growing Indian defense sector with procurements, productions, and incentivised schemes being localised enough to built up a stronger and better India, for all times to come. This is also very important and contemporarily inevitable because in the highly globalised world of today whereby no other nation can be trusted in any field whatsoever, defense is one sphere where each nation has to rise on its own. No nation is ready to or will ever be ready to share its knowledge and research in the defense sector with any other nation. That is why, this push of Aatamnirbhar Bharat by the highest echelons of the nation holds much importance.
Having made his remarkable presence a stellar success at the Aero India 2025, and then having made a mark during the operational debrief of Operation Sindoor, Air Chief Marshal Singh is known for his candid nature, an approachable authoritative status, a stellar success record in professional life, and of course, for being one of the most distinguished voices of defense reforms. However, the most recent example of his exceptional leadership was given in the Indian response to the Pakistani transgression (read, terrorist attack) at Pahalgam, in April. All the defense forces of India, in a collaborative and synchronised manner answered befittingly the terrorist incursions of Pakistan, and the Indian Air Force also made its remarkable contribution under the able leadership of the Air Chief Marshal A P Singh.
While stating his views recently, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh stated that Operation Sindoor was a result-oriented and goal-specific operation (even though still ongoing) and was made to come to an end when all the objectives of the operation were met timely. Air Chief Marshal Singh added, “We stopped the war very quickly. Yes, they were on the back foot no doubt, but what were our objectives? Our objective was anti-terrorism. We had to strike them. We had done that. So if our objectives have been met, then why should we not terminate a conflict? Why should we carry on? Because any conflict has a lot of price which has to be paid”, (India Today, Sep 20, 2025). He further added that even though certain voices always told to carry on but the human price of war is tremendous and objective achievement of already decided specifics, should be the first goal of any leader when carrying on retaliatory operations. Egos, if come in between, destroy the very essence of decision making and lead to utter chaos. Air Chief Marshal added with specific regard to Pakistan and ongoing conflicts, “they do not know what our target was when we started the war. Now their goal post is shifting. Egos are coming in between. And this is where I think the world has to learn a lesson from India how to start and terminate a conflict at the earliest possible opportunity.”
The above encounter with real-life conflict happening right at the borders, and the efficient and able handling of the same by Air Chief Marshal Singh shows the distinguished capabilities that the Air Chief upholds. The value system that he possesses, the professional understanding that he has imbibed, the harmonious and equibalanced approach that he has tried to uphold in his personal and professional life, and his able handling as well as supervision of critical times, all while protecting his motherland, guiding his air fighters, and catering to his responsibilities, the Air Chief Marshal has truly and absolutely charmed his way into the hearts of the Indian citizens. Air Chief Marshal Singh is a testament, a divine guidance in the material conflict zones, and also an epitome of all that defines a soldier. To the Air Chief Marshal of India, AP Singh, with all due respect- Jai Hind. Jai Bharat.
