New Delhi: From testing the indigenous Tejas to flying it as the chief of the air staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, association with the aircraft has spanned different stages of his career. On Monday, he flew the fighter for the final sortie of his flying career during Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 in Jodhpur, ahead of his retirement on October 31.
The sortie saw him fly alongside aircraft from friendly foreign countries and the IAF’s Suryakiran Aerobatic Team. The force marked the occasion by highlighting his longstanding passion for flying and dedication to national service, adding that his association with the mission of serving the country would continue beyond his time as a fighter pilot.
His final flight in the Tejas carried a personal connection, given his experience in the aircraft’s development and testing. He previously served as project director (flight test) at the National Flight Test Centre in Bengaluru, where he was involved in evaluating the aircraft during its flight-testing phase.
Commissioned into the IAF on December 21, 1984, he has accumulated more than 5,000 hours of flying experience on fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, according to media reports. He is a qualified flying instructor and experimental test pilot, with assignments spanning fighter squadron command, aircraft upgrades and flight testing.
His career included commanding No. 22 Squadron, which operated the MiG-27, and leading the MiG-29 upgrade project management team in Moscow. He also served as chief test pilot at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment before taking up his role at the National Flight Test Centre.
His experience with the Tejas programme has been particularly relevant to the IAF’s efforts to expand its indigenous fighter fleet. He has publicly criticized delivery delays by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), as the force continues to deal with a shortage of fighter squadrons and the need to induct indigenous aircraft in a timely manner.
The Aeronautical Development Agency is responsible for the Tejas programme’s design and development, while HAL is the principal production partner. The IAF provides operational requirements, pilot expertise and user evaluation to ensure the aircraft meets its operational needs.
He also has a connection with another significant chapter in the IAF’s fighter history. He is the last serving IAF chief to have flown the MiG-21, which remained a key component of India’s fighter fleet for decades. His final sortie in the Tejas thus came after a career spanning different generations of combat aircraft.
Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026, where the sortie took place, was held at Air Force Station Jodhpur from September 26 to October 12. Conducted under the theme “Power in Partnership”, the multinational exercise brought participating air forces together for joint training and aerial manoeuvres to demonstrate their capabilities and strengthen interoperability.
On October 9, ACM Singh addressed a seminar organized by the Centre for Aerospace Power and Strategic Studies in connection with the exercise and the IAF’s 94th anniversary. Recalling the force’s beginnings in 1932 with four Wapiti aircraft, he highlighted its transformation into one of the world’s major air forces.
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, the current vice-chief of the air staff (VCAS) has been appointed the next chief of the air staff in the rank of air chief marshal. He will assume the post from the afternoon of October 31, when ACM Singh is due to retire.
The IAF’s message following the sortie emphasised that the end of ACM Singh’s flying career would not mark the end of his commitment to the service. It concluded with a phrase that captures the enduring identity of a fighter pilot: “Once a fighter pilot. Always a fighter pilot.”