Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh flew his last fighter sortie aboard the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft during the closing days of Exercise Tarang Shakti at the Jodhpur Air Force Station, ahead of his retirement on October 31.
Announcing the flight in a post on X on Monday, the IAF said the sortie reflected "the spirit of a fighter pilot who has always believed in leading from the front". The force shared a video of the sortie and photographs showing Singh flying alongside aircraft from friendly foreign countries and the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team during the multinational exercise.
"Once a fighter pilot. Always a fighter pilot"
"A FINAL FIGHTER SORTIE. A LIFETIME OF PASSION. At the controls of the indigenous Tejas, the Chief of the Air Staff ... takes to the skies for his last fighter sortie — a defining moment in a distinguished career shaped by an abiding passion for flying and an unwavering commitment to serving the Nation," the IAF posted.
The force added: "The skies may mark the end of a flying chapter, but the mission of service to the Nation continues."
The Tejas connection
Singh's association with the Tejas goes back to his years as a test pilot. Commissioned into the IAF on December 21, 1984, he is a qualified flying instructor and an experimental test pilot. The aircraft he flew was the LCA Mk-1; the IAF currently operates 30 LCA Mk-1 fighters and eight trainers, while the upgraded Mk-1A variant is nearing induction after the IAF placed orders for 180 jets worth a combined Rs 1.1 lakh crore.
Tarang Shakti's second edition ran from September 26 to October 12 and featured 150 Indian and foreign aircraft from eight air forces — including, for the first time, the US F-35 stealth fighter — flying more than 600 sorties and logging around 800 flying hours.
Sources: The Times of India — IAF chief AP Singh takes final flight in Tejas, the fighter jet he once helped test | Hindustan Times — IAF chief AP Singh flies his last sortie in Tejas fighter | NDTV — Watch: Air Force Chief Flies Final Sortie In Tejas Ahead Of Retirement
Announcing the flight in a post on X on Monday, the IAF said the sortie reflected "the spirit of a fighter pilot who has always believed in leading from the front". The force shared a video of the sortie and photographs showing Singh flying alongside aircraft from friendly foreign countries and the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team during the multinational exercise.
"Once a fighter pilot. Always a fighter pilot"
"A FINAL FIGHTER SORTIE. A LIFETIME OF PASSION. At the controls of the indigenous Tejas, the Chief of the Air Staff ... takes to the skies for his last fighter sortie — a defining moment in a distinguished career shaped by an abiding passion for flying and an unwavering commitment to serving the Nation," the IAF posted.
The force added: "The skies may mark the end of a flying chapter, but the mission of service to the Nation continues."
The Tejas connection
Singh's association with the Tejas goes back to his years as a test pilot. Commissioned into the IAF on December 21, 1984, he is a qualified flying instructor and an experimental test pilot. The aircraft he flew was the LCA Mk-1; the IAF currently operates 30 LCA Mk-1 fighters and eight trainers, while the upgraded Mk-1A variant is nearing induction after the IAF placed orders for 180 jets worth a combined Rs 1.1 lakh crore.
Tarang Shakti's second edition ran from September 26 to October 12 and featured 150 Indian and foreign aircraft from eight air forces — including, for the first time, the US F-35 stealth fighter — flying more than 600 sorties and logging around 800 flying hours.
Sources: The Times of India — IAF chief AP Singh takes final flight in Tejas, the fighter jet he once helped test | Hindustan Times — IAF chief AP Singh flies his last sortie in Tejas fighter | NDTV — Watch: Air Force Chief Flies Final Sortie In Tejas Ahead Of Retirement
