Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit on Saturday took over as the 29th Chief of Air Staff, succeeding Air Chief Marshal AP Singh who retired after 42 years of military service.
His previous appointments include Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC), Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff. Dixit is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Command and Staff College (Bangladesh), and the National Defence College.
“Over a career spanning four decades, the Air Chief has rich experience across diverse domains such as operations, flight testing, capability development and joint staff assignments,” the IAF said. “Widely recognised for his contribution to the IAF’s modernisation, he was instrumental in finalising the Jaguar and MiG-27 upgrade projects and in completing the initial operational clearance (IOC) and final operational clearance (FOC) activities for the LCA Mk-1,” the air force said in a statement.
He takes charge as IAF grapples with a worrying shortage of fighter jets, and several key programmes to bolster its capabilities need to be accelerated. The appointment also comes at a pivotal moment as the armed forces advance theaterisation, a long-awaited reform designed to integrate the military’s resources for future conflicts. Dixit has also assumed charge amid a row over the government’s move to reclaim land within the Race Course Air Force Station in Delhi. The supply of engines has stabilised, easing a key constraint on the programme.
On October 3, Air Chief Marshal Singh said the delay in inducting new fighter jets is hurting the IAF, and the country needs to produce up to 40 aircraft a year to plug capability gaps and build long-term combat strength. The IAF is counting on the timely induction of the LCA Mk-1A and MRFA to shore up its fighter fleet and keep the combat squadron numbers from falling below 30 compared to a sanctioned 42.5. The first contract for 83 aircraft was signed in February 2021, followed by a second one for 97 fighters in September 2025. The first Mk-1A aircraft, ordered in 2021, was due for delivery in March 2024.
That deadline was missed due to a combination of factors, including US firm GE Aerospace’s inability to supply the F404-IN20 engines on time and delays in securing key certifications.
