New Delhi, Sep 1 (IANS): Air Marshal Tejinder Singh took over as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS) at Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhawan) on Sunday.

In the Indian Air Force, the Deputy Chief of Air Force looks after modernisation and capital procurements for the force.

After assumption of his new appointment, the Air Marshal paid homage to the bravehearts who gave the supreme sacrifice, by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial, New Delhi.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Air Marshal Tejinder was commissioned in the fighter stream of the IAF on June 13, 1987. He is a Category 'A' Qualified Flying Instructor with over 4500 hours of flying, an alumnus of Defence Service Staff College and National Defence College.

He has commanded a Fighter Squadron, a Radar Station, and a premier Fighter Base and was Air Officer Commanding, Jammu and Kashmir. His varied staff appointments include Operational Staff at a Command HQ, Air Commodore (Personnel Officers-1) at Air HQ, Deputy Assistant Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, Financial (Planning) at HQ IDS, Air Commodore (Aerospace Safety), Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Offensive) and ACAS Ops (Strategy) at Air HQ.

Prior to his present appointment, Air Marshal Tejinder Singh was the Senior Air Staff Officer, HQ Eastern Air Command of IAF at Shillong, Meghalaya.

In recognition of his meritorious services, he was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2007 and the Ati Vishist Seva Medal in 2022, by the President of India.

Air Marshal Singh is taking over his new role at a crucial juncture when the Indian Air Force has to take forward several important aircraft projects, including the LCA Mark-1A, and LCA Mark2-2 and upgrade its Su-30MKI fleet.