Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM (born 9 December 1966) is a serving officer of the Indian Air Force. He is currently serving as the 51st Vice Chief of the Air Staff. He was previously serving as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, prior to he was Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Air Command. He earlier served as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and as Senior Air Staff Officer, South Western Air Command.
Early life and education He is an alumnus of 69th course of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Air Force Academy, Dundigal. He is also an alumnus of Defence Services Command and Staff College, Bangladesh and National Defence College, New Delhi.
Military Career The air officer was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force on 6 December 1986 from the Air Force Academy. In a career spanning over three decades, he has more than 3300 hours of flying experience across various fighter jets and has held various command & staff appointments. He is an experimental test pilot, qualified flying instructor and a fighter combat leader who has flown the HPT-32, AN-32, AVRO, Kiran, Jaguar, IL-78 and HAWK. The air marshal's operational tenure include being the Commanding Officer of No. 9 Squadron 'Wolfpack Squadron'. He re-equipped No. 9 Sqn with Mirage-2000 and later commanded a front line fighter air base in Western Sector and Flight Test Squadron, ASTE in Bengaluru. He has participated in Operation Rakshak & Operation Safed Sagar during the Kargil War.
As an Air Commodore, he served as the Principal Director, Air Staff Requirements at Air Headquarters, New Delhi and later served as the Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station Bidar, Karnataka. As Air Vice Marshal, he served as the Air Defence Commander, Southern Air Command, as the Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Projects and as Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Plans at the Air Headquarters, New Delhi.
After being promoted to the rank of Air Marshal on 1 October 2022, he assumed the appointment of Senior Air Staff Officer, South Western Air Command. On 15 May 2023, Air marshal Dixit took over as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff succeeding Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari. He has headed several projects with the adaption of future technologies and worked towards ensuring that IAF achieves modernization while maintaining a steady focus on 'Aatmanirbharta' i.e. self reliance. A number of indigenous aircraft projects including LCA Mark-1A, Mark-2 and AMCA have seen significant forward movement during his tenure as Deputy Chief.
On 1 September 2024, Air Marshal Dixit took over as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Air Command succeeding Air Marshal Ravi Gopal Krishana Kapoor. He relinquished the command of Central Air Command on 30 April 2025. On 1 May 2025, he assumed the appointment of Chief of Integrated Defence Staff succeeding Lieutenant General Johnson P Mathew, who superannuated on 30 April 2025.
On 1 July 2026, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit took over as the 51st Vice Chief of Air Staff succeeding Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor when the latter superannuated on 30 June 2026.
Chief of the Air Staff On 6 October 2026, the Government of India appointed Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit as the next Chief of the Air Staff succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh on 31 October.
Personal life He is married to Mrs. Archana Dixit and the couple has two children.
Awards and decorations During his career, the air marshal has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2026, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2023, the Vayu Sena Medal in 2006 and Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011.
Param Vishisht Seva MedalAti Vishisht Seva MedalVayu Sena MedalVishisht Seva MedalOperation Vijay StarOperation Vijay MedalOperation Parakram MedalSainya Seva MedalHigh Altitude MedalVidesh Seva Medal75th Independence Anniversary Medal50th Independence Anniversary Medal30 Years Long Service Medal20 Years Long Service Medal9 Years Long Service Medal
Dates of ranks InsigniaRankComponentDate of rankPilot OfficerIndian Air Force6 December 1986Flying OfficerIndian Air Force6 December 1987Flight LieutenantIndian Air Force6 December 1991Squadron LeaderIndian Air Force6 December 1997Wing CommanderIndian Air Force5 May 2003Group CaptainIndian Air Force1 March 2009Air CommodoreIndian Air Force17 June 2013Air Vice MarshalIndian Air Force11 June 2019Air MarshalIndian Air Force1 October 2022
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