Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes charge as India's 29th Chief of the Air Staff

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit took over as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on Saturday, October 31, the Ministry of Defence said. He succeeds Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who retired after 42 years of service.

Before his elevation, Dixit was Vice Chief of the Air Staff. Singh was given a ceremonial guard of honour before handing over command, according to reports.

A test pilot's career

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986. Over close to four decades he has served in operations, flight testing, capability development and joint staff roles. He is a qualified flying instructor and an experimental test pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours on the Mirage-2000, several MiG variants, the Jaguar and transport aircraft.

The ministry said he played a central part in finalising the upgrade programmes for the Jaguar and MiG-27 fleets and in completing the Initial and Final Operational Clearance work for the indigenous LCA Mk-I Tejas.

He has commanded a Mirage-2000 squadron, a Forward Base Support Unit in the Western Sector and Air Force Station Bidar, a major fighter training base. His senior appointments include Air Defence Commander at Southern Air Command, Senior Air Staff Officer at South Western Air Command, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command. During Operation Sindoor he served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee.

He is a graduate of the Defence Services Command and Staff College in Bangladesh and the National Defence College in New Delhi. His decorations include the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Vayu Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.

Priorities ahead

Dixit takes charge at a time when the Air Force is working to rebuild its fighter squadron strength and expand the use of home-built aircraft and weapons. His background in testing the Tejas is expected to be relevant as the government pushes for greater self-reliance in defence manufacturing.