Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Oct 06
The government has appointed Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit as the next Chief of the Air Staff, with the rank of Air Chief Marshal, effective from the afternoon of October 31, 2026.
Dixit, currently Vice Chief of the Air Staff, will succeed Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who is due to retire on October 31.
Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1986 after graduating from the National Defence Academy.
Before becoming Vice Chief, he served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command.
He is also an alumnus of the Defence Staff Service College in Bangladesh and the National Defence College.
Dixit has more than 3500 hours of flying experience on aircraft including the Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Kiran, Jaguar, IL-78, Hawk and Tejas.
He is an experimental test pilot and qualified flying instructor.
During a career spanning about four decades, he has participated in operations and exercises including Operation Sated Sagar, Operation Rakshak and Operation Sindoor.
He has commanded a frontline fighter base in the western sector and a fighter training base in the southern sector, and has held several senior field and staff appointments.
Dixit has received the Vayu Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Param Vishisht Seva Medal for his service.
