Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit Takes Charge As Indian Air Force’s 51st Vice Chief

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit on Wednesday assumed charge as the 51st Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS), succeeding Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, who retired on June 30 after serving the Indian Air Force (IAF) for nearly four decades.

Before taking over as Vice Chief, Air Marshal Dixit was serving as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC), a position he had held since May 1, 2025. During his tenure, he played an important role in strengthening tri-service integration and enhancing India’s joint military capabilities.

Marking his departure from the post, the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) praised his leadership, describing his tenure as transformational and highlighting his unwavering commitment to advancing tri-service cooperation.

The organisation also credited him with demonstrating strategic vision, operational excellence and inspiring leadership throughout his distinguished military career.

According to HQ IDS, several major initiatives were carried forward during his tenure. These included his contribution to Operation Sindoor, the release of 20 joint doctrines and primers aimed at institutionalising tri-service thinking, the conceptualisation of RanSamwad 2025 and RanSamwad 2026, the organisation of Combined and Joint Commanders’ Conferences in 2025 and 2026, and the preparation of the Defence Forces Vision 2047 roadmap for a technology-driven and integrated military.

The headquarters further acknowledged his lasting contribution towards strengthening tri-service cooperation and capability development, saying his work would continue to inspire future generations of the Indian Armed Forces.

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 in Bangladesh, and the National Defence College, New Delhi.

A Qualified Flying Instructor and Experimental Test Pilot, he has logged over 3,300 flying hours across more than 20 aircraft types, including the Mirage-2000, MiG-21 and Jaguar.

Over the course of his career, Air Marshal Dixit has held several operational, command and staff appointments. He has commanded a Mirage-2000 squadron, a frontline fighter base in the Western Sector, and a premier fighter training base in the Southern Sector.

As Commanding Officer of the Flight Test Squadron at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), Bengaluru, he contributed to several indigenous aircraft upgrade programmes, including avionics upgrades for the Jaguar and MiG-27 fleets.

He later served as Director of Air Staff Requirements, where he played a key role in planning and conducting the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) trials. At Air Headquarters, he also held key appointments as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Projects), Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Plans) and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, before taking over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command.

During his service, Air Marshal Dixit also participated in Operation Safed Sagar, the Indian Air Force’s air campaign during the 1999 Kargil War, as well as Operation Rakshak, the long-running counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operation in Jammu and Kashmir.