- Government names Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit as 29th Chief of the Air Staff
- He takes charge in the rank of Air Chief Marshal from the afternoon of October 31, 2026
- He is currently serving as Vice Chief of the Air Staff
- Current chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh retires on October 31, 2026
- Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream on December 06, 1986
The Government has named Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff. He will hold the rank of Air Chief Marshal from the afternoon of October 31, 2026.
Dixit is at present the Vice Chief of the Air Staff. He takes over from Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who retires on October 31, 2026.
Career in the air force
Dixit was born on December 09, 1966. He was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 06, 1986.
Before becoming Vice Chief, he served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff. He also led Central Air Command as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief.
He commanded a front-line fighter air base in the Western Sector. He also led a premier fighter training base in the Southern Sector.
Flying experience and operations
Dixit has more than 3500 hours of flying on aircraft including Mirage-2000, several variants of MiG, Kiran, Jaguar, IL-78, HAWK and Tejas. He is an Experimental Test Pilot and a Qualified Flying Instructor.
He has taken part in numerous operations and exercises over a service career of about four decades. These include Op-Sated Sagar, Op-Rakshak and Op Sindoor.
Education and awards
Dixit is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Staff Service College in Bangladesh and the National Defence College.
He has received the Vayu Sena Medal (2006), the Vishisht Seva Medal (2011), the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (2023) and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (2026).
