Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit Assumes Command of Indian Air Force

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit officially took over as the 29th Chief of Air Staff on Saturday, succeeding the outgoing Air Chief Marshal AP Singh following his retirement. Prior to stepping into his new role, Dixit served as the Vice Chief of Air Staff and brings decades of operational, testing, and joint staff experience to the position.

Commissioned into the fighter stream in December 1986, Dixit is a qualified flying instructor and experimental test pilot. Throughout a career spanning roughly four decades, he has logged upwards of 3,500 hours in the cockpit across various platforms, including the Mirage-2000, different MiG variants, the Jaguar, and the Tejas light combat aircraft. He has also participated in major operations including the Kargil war and Jammu and Kashmir deployments.

The incoming Air Chief takes command as the air force faces a pressing shortage of fighter jets and works to accelerate vital capability programs. His immediate priorities include overseeing the induction of the LCA Mk-1A, alongside advancing multi-role fighter aircraft acquisitions, medium transport aircraft, and advanced medium combat aircraft initiatives amid ongoing military integration reforms.