Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit appointed new Chief of Indian Air Force

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has been appointed as the new Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the government announced on Tuesday.

Dixit, currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, will take over as the Chief of Air Staff on October 31, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who is set to retire on the same day. He will assume the rank of Air Chief Marshal.

Dixit will become the 29th Chief of the Indian Air Force. An experienced fighter pilot, he was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF on December 6, 1986, and has more than 3,500 hours of flying experience. He is also an Experimental Test Pilot and a Qualified Flying Instructor.

During his career, Dixit has flown several aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Jaguar, IL-78, Hawk and Tejas. He has held several key operational and strategic positions, including Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff.

Dixit was appointed Vice Chief of the Air Staff in July 2026 after serving as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff. He has also been involved in strengthening jointness and integration among the three armed forces.

He has been awarded the Vayu Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Param Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service.