New Delhi: Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, a distinguished fighter pilot and veteran test pilot with extensive operational experience, has been appointed the next Vice Chief of the Air Staff. He will assume office on July 1.
Currently serving as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) at the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, Air Marshal Dixit has played a significant role in advancing jointness among the armed forces and supporting the ongoing drive towards integrated theatre commands.
Over the course of his career, he has also contributed extensively to the modernisation of the Indian Air Force (IAF), including efforts to promote indigenous fighter aircraft programmes while serving in various appointments at Air Headquarters.
A qualified flying instructor and experimental test pilot, Air Marshal Dixit has logged more than 3,300 flying hours on over 20 types of aircraft, including the Dassault Mirage 2000, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 and SEPECAT Jaguar.
During his operational career, he commanded a Mirage-2000 squadron, a frontline fighter base in the western sector, and a premier fighter training establishment. He also participated in Operation Safed Sagar and Operation Rakshak.
Air Marshal Dixit has held several senior leadership appointments, including Air Defence Commander of the Southern Air Command and Senior Air Staff Officer at the South Western Air Command.
As a test pilot and later Commanding Officer of the Flight Test Squadron at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), Bengaluru, he was closely involved in multiple indigenous aircraft development and upgrade programmes, including avionics modernisation projects for the Jaguar and MiG-27 fleets.
In his tenure as Director of Air Staff Requirements, he played a key role in planning and overseeing the trials for India’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) programme.
Commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF on December 6, 1986, Air Marshal Dixit is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Command and Staff College and the National Defence College.
His appointment is expected to bring extensive operational, testing and strategic planning expertise to the top leadership of the Indian Air Force at a time of ongoing force modernisation and capability enhancement.
