Surat Singh (air marshal)

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Air Marshal
Surat Singh
AVSM VM VSM
Air Marshal Surat Singh.jpg
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief
Eastern Air Command
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 October 2024
Service number 18563 [1]
Awards

Air Marshal Surat Singh, AVSM, VM, VSM is a serving air officer of the Indian Air Force. He is currently serving as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command. [2] He previously served as the Director General Air (Operations). [3]

Contents

Early life and education

The Air officer is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Air Force Academy, Dundigal. He is also an alumnus of the Command and Staff College, Australia and National Defence College, Bangladesh.

Military career

He was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 6 December 1986 from the Air Force Academy. [4] In a career spanning over three decades, he has more than 2900 hours of flying experience across various fighter jets and has held training & staff appointments. He is a highly experienced fighter pilot and has flown various fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force which include variants of the MiG-21, MiG-29 and Su- 30 MKI. [5] The Air Marshal's operational tenures include being the Commanding Officer of a fighter squadron in the Northern Sector. As a Group Captain, he served as the Commandant of Tactics and Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) and as the station commander of 505 Signal Unit. [6] As an Air Commodore, he served as the Air Officer Commanding of 2 Wing at Lohegaon and as Air Commodore (Offensive Operations). He has also served as Director at the Directorate of Air Staff Inspection (DASI) at the Air Headquarters, Air-1 at South Western Air Command, Principal Director at Directorate of Personnel (Officers) & Directorate of Operations (Offensive).

As an Air Vice Marshal, he assumed the appointment of Air Defence Commander, Easter Air Command and later served as the Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Operations (Space). [7]

After being promoted to the rank of Air Marshal, on 1 January 2023 he assumed the appointment of Director General Air (Operations) at the Air Headquarters. [3] On 1 October 2024, Air Marshal Surat Singh took over as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command succeeding Air Marshal Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar who moved to the Air Headquarters as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff. [8]

Awards and decorations

During his career, the air marshal has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2015, [9] the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011 and the Vayu Sena Medal in 2008. [10]

Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg Vayusena Medal ribbon.svg Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg
IND Samanya Seva medal.svg IND Special Service Medal Ribbon.svg IND Operation Vijay medal.svg IND Operation Parakram medal.svg
IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg IND High Altitude Medal Ribbon.svg IND Videsh Seva Medal Ribbon.svg 75yearmedal.svg
IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg IND 30 Years Long Service Ribbon.svg IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Vayu Sena Medal Vishisht Seva Medal
Samanya Seva Medal Special Service Medal Operation Vijay Medal Operation Parakram Medal
Sainya Seva Medal High Altitude Medal Videsh Seva Medal 75th Anniversary of Independence Medal
50th Independence Anniversary Medal 30 Years Long Service Medal 20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal

Dates of ranks

InsigniaRankComponentDate of rank
Indian IAF OF-1a.svg Pilot Officer Indian Air Force6 December 1986 [11]
Indian IAF OF-1b.svg Flying Officer Indian Air Force6 December 1987 [11]
Indian IAF OF-2.svg Flight Lieutenant Indian Air Force6 December 1991 [11]
Indian IAF OF-3.svg Squadron Leader Indian Air Force6 December 1997 [11]
Indian IAF OF-4.svg Wing Commander Indian Air Force5 May 2003 [11]
Indian IAF OF-5.svg Group Captain Indian Air Force2 March 2009 [11]
Indian IAF OF-6.svg Air Commodore Indian Air Force17 June 2013 [11]
Indian IAF OF-7.svg Air Vice Marshal Indian Air Force11 June 2019 [11]
Indian IAF OF-8.svg Air Marshal Indian Air Force1 December 2022 (AOC-in-C from 1 October 2024) [11]

References

  1. ↑ https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/indianairforce/database/18563
  2. ↑ Negi, Manjeet (1 October 2024). "Air Marshal Surat Singh takes charge of Eastern Air Command". India Today. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  3. 1 2 "The seminar was inaugurated by Air Marshal Surat Singh, AVSM, VM, VSM, DG Air Ops, Air HQ. He suggested what India needs to do?, with highlighting the need for combination of active and passive sensor, and the Artificial Intelligence and machine learning". x.com (formerly twitter). Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  4. ↑ "Air Marshal Surat Singh 18563 F(P)". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "Eastern Air Command". Indian Air Force: Touch The Sky With Glory. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  6. ↑ "Air Marshal Surat Singh Takes Charge as AOC-in-C of Eastern Air Command". www.timesnownews.com. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  7. ↑ "Air Force ready for any contingency within or outside country: AVM Surat Singh". ANI News. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  8. ↑ "Air Marshal Surat Singh takes over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Air Command". ANI News. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "Awardee List for the year 2015 , Indian Air Force - Database". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  10. ↑ "Republic Day gallantry and other Defence decorations 2008". PIB. 25 January 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Service Record for Air Marshal Surat Singh 18563 F(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
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