The Indian Air Force (IAF) has seen a series of strong and experienced leaders since 1947. These Air Chief Marshals have played a vital role in making the IAF a modern and powerful force. From the first Air Chief Marshal in independent India to the present, each leader has contributed to the growth of the IAF. Below is a detailed list of all the Air Chief Marshals of India, their rank, and their tenure.
Who Is the Current Air Chief Marshal of India in 2024?
Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh will take over as the next Chief of the Air Staff on September 30, 2024. He is an experienced pilot and currently serves as the Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force. Air Marshal A.P. Singh has held various key positions, including commanding a fighter squadron and handling major projects like the MiG-29 upgrade in Russia. He will replace Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, who has led the IAF since 2021.
A Complete List of Air Chief Marshals of India (1947–2024)
Below is a table listing all the Air Chiefs from 1947 to 2024, including their tenure.
| Name | Rank | Tenure Start | Tenure End |
| Sir Thomas Elmhirst | Air Marshal | 15 Aug 1947 | 23 Feb 1950 |
| Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman | Air Chief Marshal | 23 Feb 1950 | 09 Dec 1951 |
| Gerald Gibbs | Air Marshal | 10 Dec 1951 | 31 Mar 1954 |
| Subroto Mukherjee | Air Marshal | 01 Apr 1954 | 31 Mar 1955 |
| Aspy Engineer | Air Marshal | 01 Dec 1960 | 31 Jul 1964 |
| Arjan Singh | Air Chief Marshal | 01 Aug 1964 | 15 Jul 1969 |
| Pratap Chandra Lal | Air Chief Marshal | 16 Jul 1969 | 16 Jan 1973 |
| Om Prakash Mehra | Air Chief Marshal | 16 Jan 1973 | 31 Jan 1976 |
| Hrushikesh Moolgavkar | Air Chief Marshal | 01 Feb 1976 | 30 Aug 1978 |
| Idris Hasan Latif | Air Chief Marshal | 01 Sep 1978 | 30 Aug 1981 |
| Dilbagh Singh | Air Chief Marshal | 01 Sep 1981 | 03 Sep 1984 |
| Lakshman Madhav Katre | Air Chief Marshal | 03 Sep 1984 | 01 Jul 1985 |
| Denis La Fountaine | Air Chief Marshal | 03 Jul 1985 | 31 Jul 1988 |
| Surinder Mehra | Air Chief Marshal | 01 Aug 1988 | 31 Jul 1991 |
| Nirmal Chandra Suri | Air Chief Marshal | 31 Jul 1991 | 31 Jul 1993 |
| Swaroop Krishna Kaul | Air Chief Marshal | 01 Aug 1993 | 31 Dec 1995 |
| Satish Saren | Air Chief Marshal | 31 Dec 1995 | 31 Dec 1998 |
| Anil Yashwant Tipnis | Air Chief Marshal | 31 Dec 1998 | 31 Dec 2001 |
| Srinivasapuram Krishnaswamy | Air Chief Marshal | 31 Dec 2001 | 31 Dec 2004 |
| Shashindra Pal Tyagi | Air Chief Marshal | 31 Dec 2004 | 31 Mar 2007 |
| Fali Homi Major | Air Chief Marshal | 31 Mar 2007 | 31 May 2009 |
| Pradeep Vasant Naik | Air Chief Marshal | 31 May 2009 | 31 Jul 2011 |
| Norman Anil Kumar Browne | Air Chief Marshal | 31 Jul 2011 | 31 Dec 2013 |
| Arup Raha | Air Chief Marshal | 31 Dec 2013 | 31 Dec 2016 |
| Birender Singh Dhanoa | Air Chief Marshal | 31 Dec 2016 | 30 Sep 2019 |
| Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria | Air Chief Marshal | 30 Sep 2019 | 30 Sep 2021 |
| Vivek Ram Chaudhari | Air Chief Marshal | 30 Sep 2021 | 30 Sep 2024 |
| Amar Preet Singh | Air Chief Marshal | 30 Sep 2024 | Present |
Role of the Air Chief Marshal in India
The Air Chief Marshal is the top officer in the Indian Air Force. He is responsible for the planning, control, and operations of the IAF. The Chief oversees training, modernization, and defense strategies. Each leader has contributed to the development of the IAF, helping India defend its skies.
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Air Marshal A.P. Singh will take over as the Air Chief on September 30, 2024, succeeding Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari.
India has had over 25 Air Chiefs since its independence in 1947.
The Air Chief Marshal is the head of the Indian Air Force, responsible for planning, strategy, and modernization of the IAF.
The first Indian to hold the position of Air Chief Marshal was Arjan Singh, who served from 1964 to 1969.
The first Air Chief Marshal after independence was Sir Thomas Elmhirst.
