Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has officially assumed the position of the 29th Chief of the Air Staff, succeeding Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, who has superannuated after 42 years of distinguished service to the nation.
Appointment of the 29th Chief of the Air Staff
Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM, assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) on 31 October 2026. He succeeds Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, PSM, AVSM, who superannuated after 42 years of distinguished service to the nation.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit was commissioned into the Fighter Stream of the Indian Air Force on 06 December 1986. Over a career spanning four decades, the Air Chief has rich experience across diverse domains such as Operations, Flight Testing, Capability Development and Joint Staff assignments, according to the release.
Professional Background and Expertise
Flying Experience and Operational Command
An accomplished Fighter Pilot, Qualified Flying Instructor and Experimental Test Pilot, he has over 3,300 hours of flying experience on a wide range of aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, various MiG variants, Jaguar and several transport aircraft, as stated in the release.
His operational command assignments include command of a Mirage-2000 Squadron, a Forward Base Support Unit in the Western Sector and Air Force Station Bidar, a premier fighter training base of the IAF.
Contribution to Modernisation
Widely recognised for his contribution to the modernisation of the Indian Air Force, he was instrumental in finalising the Jaguar and MiG-27 upgrade projects and in the completion of the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) and Final Operational Clearance (FOC) activities of the LCA Mk-I Tejas.
The Air Officer has served as Air Defence Commander at Southern Air Command, Senior Air Staff Officer at South Western Air Command and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, steering key capability development and procurement initiatives. He subsequently commanded Central Air Command as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief and later served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee during Operation Sindoor. Prior to assuming charge as Chief of the Air Staff, he served as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit is an accomplished graduate of the Defence Services Command and Staff College, Bangladesh, and the National Defence College, New Delhi. He is a recipient of the Vayu Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Param Vishisht Seva Medal in recognition of his distinguished service to the nation.
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