New Delhi, October 31: Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit on Saturday assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force (IAF), succeeding Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, who superannuated after 42 years of distinguished service.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Air Chief Marshal Dixit was commissioned into the Fighter Stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986. His career spans nearly four decades, covering operational assignments, flight testing, capability development and joint staff responsibilities.
An accomplished fighter pilot, Qualified Flying Instructor and Experimental Test Pilot, he has logged more than 3,300 hours of flying on various aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Jaguar and transport aircraft.
He has played a significant role in the modernisation of the IAF, contributing to the finalisation of the Jaguar and MiG-27 upgrade projects and the Initial and Final Operational Clearance activities of the LCA Mk-I Tejas.
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 key fighter training base of the IAF.
He has also 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. Subsequently, he commanded Central Air Command as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief and served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee. Before taking over as Air Chief, he was serving as Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
Air Chief Marshal Dixit is a graduate of the Defence Services Command and Staff College, Bangladesh, and the National Defence College, New Delhi.
In recognition of his service, he has been awarded the Vayu Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Param Vishisht Seva Medal.
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