Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit to be next Vice-Chief of Air Staff

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, a distinguished fighter pilot and test pilot, has been appointed as the next Vice-Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) and will assume office on July 1. He succeeds Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor.

Currently serving as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC), Air Marshal Dixit has played a pivotal role in enhancing jointness among the armed forces and advancing efforts towards the creation of integrated theatre commands. His tenure has focused on improving coordination and operational synergy between the Army, Navy and the Air Force.

An accomplished officer with extensive operational and leadership experience, Air Marshal Dixit has also been closely associated with the Indian Air Force’s modernisation drive. During various assignments at the Air headquarters, he contributed significantly to the promotion of indigenous fighter aircraft programmes and capability enhancement initiatives.

Commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986, Air Marshal Dixit is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, the Defence Services Staff College, Bangladesh, and the National Defence College, New Delhi.

Instructor and fighter pilot

A qualified flying instructor and an experimental test pilot, he has accumulated more than 3,300 flying hours on over 20 types of aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, MiG-21 and Jaguar fighter jets.

During his distinguished career, he commanded a premier fighter training base under the Southern Air Command, which earned recognition as the best base in the command during his tenure. As Commanding Officer of the Flight Test Squadron at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), Bengaluru, he was actively involved in several indigenous development and upgrade programmes, including avionics modernisation projects for the Jaguar and MiG-27 fleets.

Combat aircraft trials

Air Marshal Dixit also served as Director of Air Staff Requirements, where he played a key role in planning and conducting trials for the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) programme, one of the Indian Air Force’s most significant fighter acquisition initiatives.

His appointment as the Vice-Chief of the Air Staff comes at a crucial juncture as the Indian Air Force continues its force modernisation efforts while working closely with the other services to implement the theatre command structure.