Air Marshal Vikram Singh took over as Senior Air Staff Officer of Western Air Command yesterday. MR. Singh is a very Experienced officer of the Indian Air Force, with great potential and courage to serve the nation.
Group Captain Vikram Singh (17699) Flying (Pilot) was commissioned as a Fighter Pilot in December 1984. He is an Experimental Test Pilot and a Qualified Flight Instructor. His varied and diverse flying experience amounts to 2800 hours on 35 different aircraft. He attended the Senior Commanders Staff Course in South Africa. The officer has played a key and instrumental role in the development and Flight Testing of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
To date, he has the largest number of sorties on the LCA amounting to 150 which is almost 20% of the LC~s total flying. His contribution to this National Level aircraft development project has been singular and noteworthy. The officer in his career has varied experience in diverse fields. This also included a three-year appointment in the Directorate of Air Staff Requirement where he was involved in the induction of Embraer and WIP Boeing.
His vision, planning, and a deep sense of integrity have enabled him to achieve the desired Air Force objectives. During his present tenure at Air HQ, the officer was the Director for aircraft upgrades.
His scope of work involved close monitoring, coordination, and timely induction of combat aircraft into the operational squadrons. This involved the induction of Su-30 MKI and the intense negotiations that were involved in the swap contract with the Russians.
His contribution to the MiG-27 and Jaguar upgrade projects is immense. Today both these upgrade projects are a success story that HAL, DRDO, and the Air Force can be truly proud of. It is pertinent to mention that all these projects were worth almost Rs 60,000 crores.
His commitment and perseverance have resulted in timely completion and contributed to the modernization of the IAF’s combat fleet. For his distinguished service of a high order, Hon’ble President is pleased to award ‘Vishisht Seva Medal’ to Group Captain Vikram Singh.
