New Delhi: Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit assumed charge as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force on Tuesday, succeeding Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, who retired on June 30 after completing four decades of service.

Commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986, Air Marshal Dixit brings nearly 40 years of operational, command and staff experience to the role. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Command and Staff College in Bangladesh, and the National Defence College, he has logged more than 3,500 flying hours across a wide range of aircraft.

An Experimental Test Pilot and Qualified Flying Instructor, he has flown several platforms, including the Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Jaguar, Hawk, Tejas, IL-78, An-32, Avro, Kiran and HPT-32. During his career, he has participated in major operations and exercises, including Operation Safed Sagar, Operation Rakshak, Cope India and Operation Sindoor.

Air Marshal Dixit has held several key operational and administrative appointments in the Indian Air Force. As Commanding Officer, he oversaw the re-equipment of No. 9 Squadron with Mirage-2000 aircraft. He later commanded a frontline fighter air base in the western sector and a premier fighter training base in the southern sector.

His staff assignments have included serving as Directing Staff at the Air Force Test Pilots School and Principal Director, Air Staff Requirement, at Air Headquarters. He has also served as Air Defence Commander of the Southern Air Command, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Projects), Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Plans), Senior Air Staff Officer at the South Western Air Command, and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff.

Before taking over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Dixit served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command and later as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee. In the tri-services appointment, he was involved in advancing jointness and integration among the armed forces, including the development of joint doctrines and initiatives aimed at strengthening defence preparedness across multiple domains.

In recognition of his service, Air Marshal Dixit has been awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2006, Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2023 and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2026.

BI Bureau