New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS): Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who has led the MiG-29 upgrade project team in Russia and been involved in flight-testing of Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, has been appointed the next chief of the Indian Air Force, an official statement said on Saturday.

Presently serving as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, he will succeed Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, who demits office on September 30.

Born on October 27, 1964, Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh was commissioned into the fighter pilot stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1984. During his long and distinguished service spanning nearly 40 years, he has served in a variety of command, staff, instructional, and foreign appointments.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Staff College, and the National Defence College, he is a Qualified Flying Instructor and an Experimental Test Pilot with more than 5,000 hours of flying experience on a variety of both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft.

During his career, Air Marshal Singh has commanded an operational fighter squadron and a frontline air base.

As a test pilot, he led the MiG-29 Upgrade Project Management Team in Moscow. He was also the Project Director (Flight Test) at the National Flight Test Centre, where he was among, other things, tasked with flight testing of the Light Combat Aircraft.

Among his key staff appointments are serving as the Air Defence Commander at the South Western Air Command and Senior Air Staff Officer at the Eastern Air Command. Prior to assuming the charge of Vice Chief of the IAF, he was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command.