Photograph: Tarun Vijay

Key Points

• Air Chief Marshal A P Singh won admiration for his humility and accessibility.
• He emphasised indigenous defence manufacturing to reduce dependence on foreign weapons supplies and supply chain vulnerabilities.
• He expressed concern over slow fighter aircraft induction and the Indian Air Force's dwindling squadron strength.
• His leadership, support for Tejas and emphasis on modernising the IAF shaped his tenure.

September 30, 2024. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh was to flag off the IAF UWM Vayu Veer Vijeta car rally in New Delhi. Word was given to us that the air chief would go to the National War Memorial to offer tributes to the fallen soldiers as it was his first day in office and that it may not be possible for him to attend the IAF-UWM flag-off ceremony. We understood.

As the raksha mantri arrived at the ceremony point, we saw the newly appointed air chief coming along with him to attend the car rally inauguration. That image of him has always stuck in our heart.

The image of Amar Preet Singh touching his mother's feet before coming to Air Headquarters on the very first day touched a billion Indian hearts as they all respect a man who respects his parents.

There will be a thousand stories about Air Chief Marshal A P Singh who retires from military service today, October 31, 2026 -- about his super abilities as a fighter pilot, his leadership role during Operation Sindoor, his trust in the Tejas, injecting new adrenaline in the air warrior, his emphasis on equipping the Indian Air Force with the best machines and the best men and women officers, his lion-like speeches that were candid, in the national interest and ruffled many feathers in the corridors of power.

At several seminars he emphasised that relying on foreign weapon supplies creates potential choke points and supply chain vulnerabilities during active conflicts.

He urged Indian manufacturers to accelerate production rates to avoid shortages and wastage from overstocking. His commitment was that the Indian Air Force is working toward achieving complete indigenous production of its inventory by 2047, prioritising homegrown platforms even if they face minor performance trade-offs compared to foreign options.

He was unhappy at the slow rate of induction of fighter aircraft as he felt that there is a critical need to induct roughly 35 to 40 fighter aircraft every year to address dwindling squadron strengths and replace ageing fleets. He showed his dissatisfaction without fear at the prevailing situation.

Addressing defence seminars, he roared that economic prosperity alone cannot guarantee national sovereignty without a robust, modern, and ready military standing behind it.

IMAGE: Air Chief Marshal A P Singh receives a coffee table book from Tarun Vijay, October 29, 2026. Photograph: Tarun Vijay

A P Singh: A Leader Without Arrogance

Air Chief Marshal A P Singh belonged to the genre of Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh -- never compromising and never showing even an iota of arrogance of his position.

He was a man of the people, a very happy, jovial, spontaneously vibrant and a neighbour next door. He came to Dehradun to attend a school's annual function and we were shocked to see that there was no paraphernalia of security around him.

I saw his four-star official car coming from Palam airport, stuck in traffic without a pilot car. I enjoyed his spontaneity when he did the garba with air warriors' families and his jokes in Guwahati where he arrived driving his Jimny from Hasimara.

He is in a class of his own, a highly professional fighter pilot and a nightmare for India's enemies.

We salute him as he leaves behind a legacy that will keep inspiring Indian youth to become air warriors like him.

IMAGE: Air Chief Marshal A P Singh with Guwahati university students. Photograph: Tarun Vijay

For the record, here are some highlights from his inspiring four decades of service to the nation.

• Commissioned: December 21, 1984 into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force after graduating from the National Defence Academy with the prestigious Sword of Honour.
• Experience: An experimental test pilot and qualified flying instructor with over 5,000 flying hours on various fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.
• Key Commands: Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Air Command, Senior Air Staff Officer, Eastern Air Command.
• Chief of the Air Staff: Assumed office as the 28th Chief of Air Staff on September 30, 2024.
• Awards: Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (2019), Param Vishisht Seva Medal (2023).

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff