On February 1st, 2023, Air Marshal AP Singh PVSM AVSM assumed the position of Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS). In honour of those members of the armed forces who have given the ultimate sacrifice for the country, he lay a wreath at the National War Memorial on the day he assumed the position of VCAS. At Air Headquarters, he then received a ceremonial Guard of Honor (Vayu Bhavan).
The Air Marshal, a graduate of the National Defense College, Defense Services Staff College, and National Defense Academy, was commissioned into the IAF’s Fighter Stream on December 21, 1984.The Air Officer is a Qualified Flying Instructor and an Experimental Test Pilot with more than 5000 hours of flying experience on a variety of fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
The officer has led a frontline air base and an active fighter unit throughout his tenure. He oversaw the MiG-29 Upgrade Project Management Team in Moscow, Russia, while serving as a test pilot. Additionally, he oversaw the flight testing of the Light Combat Aircraft as the Project Director (Flight Test) at the National Flight Test Centre (Tejas). He has held major staff positions in South Western Air Command and Eastern Air Command, including Senior Air Staff Officer. He served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Central Air Command before to accepting his current position.
The Air Marshal is a recipient of Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.
He took over for Air Marshal Sandeep Singh, who announced his retirement on January 31, 2023, after more than 39 years of distinguished service.