Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes charge as 51st Vice Chief of Air Staff

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit on Wednesday assumed the appointment of the 51st Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS), succeeding Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, who retired on June 30 after completing nearly four decades of distinguished service in the Indian Air Force (IAF).Before taking over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Dixit served as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) from May 1, 2025, where he contributed significantly towards strengthening jointness among the three services and enhancing India’s integrated military capabilities.

#WATCH | Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit lays a wreath at the National War Memorial in Delhi.

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has taken over as the Vice Chief of Air Staff today. pic.twitter.com/xQ05XaaxhU

— ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2026

Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) announced Air Marshal Dixit’s relinquishment of the CISC position, describing his tenure as one marked by transformational leadership and commitment towards tri-service integration.During his tenure as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC), Air Marshal Dixit was associated with several key initiatives, including contributions related to Operation Sindoor, development of joint doctrines and primers to promote integrated military thinking, conceptualisation of RanSamwad 2025 and 2026, and organisation of the Combined and Joint Commanders’ Conferences in 2025 and 2026.He also played a role in shaping the Defence Forces Vision 2047 roadmap aimed at developing a technology-oriented and integrated military structure for the future.
According to agency reports,Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986. He 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, Air Marshal Dixit has accumulated more than 3,300 flying hours across over 20 aircraft types, including the Mirage-2000, MiG-21 and Jaguar.Throughout his career, he has held several important operational, command and staff responsibilities. 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 in Bengaluru, Air Marshal Dixit contributed to indigenous aircraft enhancement programmes, including avionics upgrades for the Jaguar and MiG-27 aircraft.Later, as Director of Air Staff Requirements, he played an important role in planning and conducting trials for the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft programme.At Air Headquarters, he held key positions including Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Projects), Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Plans), Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, and later served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command.Air Marshal Dixit has also participated in major operations, including Operation Safed Sagar during the 1999 Kargil War and Operation Rakshak, the counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism campaign in Jammu and Kashmir.For his exceptional service, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has been honoured with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Vayu Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India.