Who is Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, the fighter pilot and Tejas veteran set to lead the IAF

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, a veteran fighter pilot and experimental test pilot who has played a key role in the Indian Air Force's modernisation and indigenous aircraft programmes, has been appointed the next Chief of the Air Staff.

Dixit, currently the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, will take over as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff in the rank of Air Chief Marshal from the afternoon of October 31, 2026. He will succeed Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who superannuates the same day.

His elevation comes after nearly four decades in the IAF, during which he has served in operational, command, planning, procurement and tri-services roles.

Fighter pilot with over 3,500 flying hours

Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF on December 6, 1986.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College in Bangladesh and National Defence College, he is an Experimental Test Pilot and Qualified Flying Instructor.

He has logged more than 3,500 hours of flying and has flown a wide range of aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Jaguar, Tejas, Hawk, IL-78, An-32, Avro, Kiran and HPT-32.

His operational experience includes participation in Operation Safed Sagar during the Kargil conflict and Operation Rakshak. He has also been involved in exercises and operations including Cope India and Operation Sindoor.

Role in indigenous aircraft programmes

A significant part of Dixit's career has been linked to aircraft testing, modernisation and capability development, making his appointment particularly significant as the IAF pushes for greater indigenous content in its combat fleet.

As a test pilot and later Commanding Officer of the Flight Test Squadron at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment in Bengaluru, Dixit was involved in indigenous upgrades and development programmes, including avionics upgrades for the Jaguar and MiG-27.

He has also been associated with efforts to promote indigenous fighter programmes, including the LCA Tejas, during his tenures at Air Headquarters. The IAF has previously said that while serving as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, Dixit headed several major projects involving future technologies while maintaining a focus on "Atmanirbharta-Self Reliance".

His experience also extends to major acquisition programmes. As Director of Air Staff Requirements, he played a key role in planning and conducting the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft trials.

Dixit has held a series of important command and staff assignments. As a Commanding Officer, he re-equipped No. 9 Squadron with the Mirage-2000. He subsequently commanded a frontline fighter air base in the Western Sector and a premier fighter training base in the Southern Sector.

At Air Headquarters, he has served as Principal Director Air Staff Requirement, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Projects), Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Plans) and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff. He has also served as Air Defence Commander of Southern Air Command and Senior Air Staff Officer at South Western Air Command.

He took over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command in September 2024 before becoming Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee in May 2025. In the tri-services role, he worked on initiatives aimed at strengthening jointness and integration among the armed forces.