New Delhi, Oct 31 (NVI): Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit on Saturday assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, succeeding Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, who retired after 42 years of distinguished service.
Air Chief Marshal Dixit, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986.
With a career spanning nearly four decades, he brings extensive experience in operational, flight testing, capability development and joint staff assignments.
An accomplished fighter pilot, qualified flying instructor and experimental test pilot, he has logged over 3,300 hours of flying on various aircraft, including Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Jaguar and transport aircraft.
He played a key role in the modernisation of the Indian Air Force, including finalising the Jaguar and MiG-27 upgrade programmes and completing the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) and Final Operational Clearance (FOC) activities of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-I Tejas.
His operational assignments included command of a Mirage-2000 squadron, a Forward Base Support Unit in the western sector and Air Force Station Bidar, a key fighter training establishment of the IAF.
He 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, overseeing key capability development and procurement initiatives.
Air Chief Marshal Dixit subsequently headed the Central Air Command as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief and served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, during Operation Sindoor.
Before taking over as the Air Chief, he served as Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
He is a graduate of the Defence Services Command and Staff College, Bangladesh, and the National Defence College, New Delhi.
In recognition of his distinguished service, he has been conferred the Vayu Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Param Vishisht Seva Medal.—(NVI)
