New Delhi, October 6: The government has appointed Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit as the next Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) of the Indian Air Force (IAF). He will assume charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff in the rank of Air Chief Marshal from the afternoon of October 31, 2026.
Dixit, who is currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, will succeed Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who is scheduled to superannuate on October 31. The appointment was announced by the Ministry of Defence on Tuesday.
Born on December 9, 1966, Air Marshal Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986. He has served in the IAF for nearly four decades and has held several important operational, command and staff appointments.
An Experimental Test Pilot and Qualified Flying Instructor, Dixit has more than 3,500 hours of flying experience on a range of aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Kiran, Jaguar, IL-78, Hawk and Tejas.
Before taking over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Dixit served as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff. He has also served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command.
During his career, Dixit commanded a frontline fighter air base in the Western Sector as well as a premier fighter training base in the Southern Sector. He has also held several senior appointments at Air Headquarters.
The officer has participated in several operations and exercises, including Operation Safed Sagar, Operation Rakshak and Operation Sindoor.
Dixit is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Staff Service College in Bangladesh and the National Defence College.
In recognition of his service, he has been awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2006, Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2023 and Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2026.
His appointment comes at a time when the IAF is focusing on modernisation, indigenous defence technologies and the integration of emerging systems into its operational capabilities. Dixit has also been associated with efforts involving unmanned systems and newer technologies during his tenure as Vice Chief.
He will formally take charge on October 31, 2026, following the retirement of Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh.
