Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit to be next IAF chief
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit is the next IAF chief and will take charge after the incumbent Chief of Air Staff, Amar Preet Singh, retires on October 31. Air Marshal Dixit is presently Vice Chief.
Announcing this on Tuesday, the Defence Ministry said the Government has appointed Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff, in the rank of Air Chief Marshal, with effect from the afternoon of October 31. The current Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, will superannuate on October 31, 2026.
Born on December 9, 1966, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986. Prior to assuming charge as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Dixit served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) and as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Air Command.
The Air Marshal is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Staff Service College (Bangladesh) and National Defence College. He has more than 3,500 hours of extensive flying experience on various aircraft, including, to name a few, Mirage-2000, variants of MiG, Kiran, Jaguar, IL-78, HAWK and Tejas. He is an experimental test pilot and a qualified flying instructor.
During his service career spanning approximately four decades, he has been actively involved in numerous operations and exercises, including Op Safed Sagar, Op Rakshak and Op Sindoor.
During his illustrious career, the Air Marshal has held several significant field and staff appointments. He commanded a front-line fighter air base in the Western Sector and a premier fighter training base in the Southern Sector.
The operational capability of the Indian Air Force has improved with the contribution of the Air Officer in various capacities. He was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2006, the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2023, and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2026 in recognition of his exemplary and distinguished service.
