Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit assumes charge as IAF Vice Chief
New Delhi, July 1. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit on July 1 assumed office as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, succeeding Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, who retired on June 30 after completing four decades of service.
Commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF on December 6, 1986, Air Marshal Dixit brings with him nearly 40 years of operational, command and staff experience. A graduate of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Staff College in Bangladesh and the National Defence College, he has logged more than 3,500 flying hours on a wide range of aircraft.
An experimental test pilot and qualified flying instructor, Air Marshal Dixit has flown several platforms, including the Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Jaguar, Hawk, Tejas, IL-78, An-32, Avro, Kiran and HPT-32 aircraft. During his career, he participated in key military operations and exercises such as Operation Safed Sagar, Operation Rakshak, Exercise Cope India and Operation Sindoor.
The Air Marshal has held several important command and staff appointments during his career. As Commanding Officer of No. 9 Squadron, he oversaw its transition to the Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft. He later commanded a frontline fighter airbase in the western sector and a premier fighter training base in southern India.
His staff assignments included serving as Directing Staff at the Air Force Test Pilots School and Principal Director of Air Staff Requirements at Air Headquarters. He also held the positions of Air Defence Commander at Southern Air Command, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff for Projects and Plans, Senior Air Staff Officer at South Western Air Command and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at Air Headquarters.
Before taking over as Vice Chief, Air Marshal Dixit served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command and subsequently as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. During his tenure in the tri-services appointment, he played a significant role in promoting jointness and integration among the armed forces and oversaw the formulation of several joint doctrines and initiatives aimed at enhancing India’s defence preparedness.
In recognition of his distinguished service, Air Marshal Dixit has been awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2006, the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2023 and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2026.
He succeeds Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, who retired on June 30 after an illustrious 40-year career in the Indian Air Force.
