New Delhi

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, a distinguished fighter pilot and experimental test pilot, has been appointed as the next Vice Chief of the Air Staff. He is scheduled to assume office on July 1.

Currently serving as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) at the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, Air Marshal Dixit has been closely involved in efforts to strengthen coordination among the armed forces and advance the government's theatre command initiatives.

Over the course of his career, he has made significant contributions to the Indian Air Force’s modernisation programmes and has actively supported the development and induction of indigenous combat aviation platforms.

Commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986, Air Marshal Dixit is a graduate of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Staff College and the National Defence College.

A qualified flying instructor and experimental test pilot, he has accumulated more than 3,300 flying hours across over 20 aircraft types. His experience includes operating frontline platforms such as the Mirage 2000, MiG-21 and SEPECAT Jaguar.

During his service, he commanded a leading fighter training establishment in southern India, which earned recognition as the top-performing base in its command under his leadership.

As a test pilot and later commanding officer of the Flight Test Squadron at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment, he was associated with several indigenous aviation development and upgrade projects. These included avionics enhancement programmes for the Jaguar and MiG-27 fleets.

Air Marshal Dixit also served as Director of Air Staff Requirements, where he played a pivotal role in planning and overseeing trials for the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) programme.

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His elevation to the post of Vice Chief comes at a time when the Indian Air Force is pursuing major capability upgrades, expanding indigenous defence programmes and strengthening joint operational structures across the armed forces.