Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has been appointed as the next Chief of the Air Staff in the substantive rank of Air Chief Marshal. He will take charge from the afternoon of October 31, 2026, and will serve till December 31, 2028.

 The official notification read, “I am directed to convey the approval of the President for appointment of Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM as the next Chief of the Air Staff in the substantive rank of Air Chief Marshal, with effect from the afternoon of 31st October, 2026, with a tenure upto 31st December, 2028.”

Dixit's role in indigenous aircraft programmes

Dixit has been closely associated with induction and progression of the indigenous LCA Tejas and other aircraft programmes. As per news agency ANI, he is expected to continue to support the government's Aatmanirbharta push in defence.

Almost Four Decades of IAF Service

Air Marshal Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of Indian Air Force on 6th December, 1986. He studied at National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College in Bangladesh and the National Defence College.

During his more than three-and-a-half-decade long service, he has clocked over 3,500 hours of flying time.

Extensive Experience Across Aircraft

Dixit has flown several aircraft including Mirage-2000, MiG variants, HPT-32, An-32, Avro, Kiran, Jaguar, IL-78, Hawk and Tejas.

In addition, he is an Experimental Test Pilot and a Qualified Flying Instructor.

Experience In Major Operations

During his service career, Dixit has been involved in several operations and exercises, including Operation Safed Sagar, Operation Rakshak, Cope India and Operation Sindoor.