The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Since its inception, many distinguished officers have served as the Chief of Air Staff, with the rank of Air Chief Marshal, leading the force through significant phases of its development and modernization. This article provides a list of Air Chief Marshals who have served from 1947 to 2024.
Air Marshal A.P. Singh has been appointed as the next Chief of the Air Staff, succeeding Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari on September 30, 2024. An experienced fighter pilot with over 5000 hours of flying, Air Marshal Singh has served in key roles, including commanding a fighter squadron and overseeing the MiG-29 upgrade project in Russia. He is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. Currently, he is the Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has been led by a series of distinguished Air Chief Marshals since 1947. These leaders have played a crucial role in modernizing and strengthening the IAF, guiding it through pivotal moments in India’s defense history from independence to 2024.
Here is the complete list of Air Chief Marshal of India from 1947 to 2024:
| List of Air Chief Marshal of India from 1947 to 2024 | |||
| Name | Rank | Tenure | |
| From | To | ||
| Sir Thomas Elmhirst | Air Marshal | 15th August 1947 | 23rd February 1950 |
| Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman | Air Chief Marshal | 23rd February 1950 | 09th December 1951 |
| Gerald Gibbs | Air Marshal | 10th December 1951 | 31st March 1954 |
| Subroto Mukherjee | Air Marshal | 01st April 1954 | 31st March 1955 |
| Aspy Engineer | Air Marshal | 01st December 1960 | 31st July 1964 |
| Arjan Singh | Air Chief Marshal | 01st August 1964 | 15th July 1969 |
| Pratap Chandra Lal | Air Chief Marshal | 16th July 1969 | 16th January 1973 |
| Om Prakash Mehra | Air Chief Marshal | 16th January 1973 | 31st January 1976 |
| Hrushikesh Moolgavkar | Air Chief Marshal | 01st February 1976 | 30th August 1978 |
| Idris Hasan Latif | Air Chief Marshal | 01st September 1978 | 30th August 1981 |
| Dilbagh Singh | Air Chief Marshal | 01st September 1981 | 03rd September 1984 |
| Lakshman Madhav Katre | Air Chief Marshal | 03rd September 1984 | 01st July 1985 |
| Denis La Fountaine | Air Chief Marshal | 03rd July 1985 | 31st July 1988 |
| Surinder Mehra | Air Chief Marshal | 01st August 1988 | 31st July 1991 |
| Nirmal Chandra Suri | Air Chief Marshal | 31st July 1991 | 31st July 1993 |
| Swaroop Krishna Kaul | Air Chief Marshal | 01st August 1993 | 31st December 1995 |
| Satish Saren | Air Chief Marshal | 31st December 1995 | 31st December 1998 |
| Anil Yashwant Tipnis | Air Chief Marshal | 31st December 1998 | 31st December 2001 |
| Srinivasapuram Krishnaswamy | Air Chief Marshal | 31st December 2001 | 31st December 2004 |
| Shashindra Pal Tyagi | Air Chief Marshal | 31st December 2004 | 31st March 2007 |
| Fali Homi Major | Air Chief Marshal | 31st March 2007 | 31st May 2009 |
| Pradeep Vasant Naik | Air Chief Marshal | 31st May 2009 | 31st July 2011 |
| Norman Anil Kumar Browne | Air Chief Marshal | 31st July 2011 | 31st December 2013 |
| Arup Raha | Air Chief Marshal | 31st December 2013 | 31st December 2016 |
| Birender Singh Dhanoa | Air Chief Marshal | 31st December 2016 | 30th September 2019 |
| Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria | Air Chief Marshal | 30th September 2019 | 30th September 2021 |
| Vivek Ram Chaudhari | Air Chief Marshal | 30th September 2021 | 30th September 2024 |
| Amar Preet Singh | Air Chief Marshal | 30th September 2024 | – |
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