In Brief
- Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit will assume the substantive rank of Air Chief Marshal on October 31, 2026, serving a tenure through December 31, 2028.
- He succeeds incumbent Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who superannuates on the afternoon of October 31, 2026.
- An experimental test pilot commissioned in 1986, Air Marshal Dixit brings nearly four decades of operational experience and has played a key role in pushing indigenous defence platforms like the LCA Tejas.
The Union Government on Tuesday announced the appointment of Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit as the next Chief of the Air Staff. Currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Dixit will assume charge in the substantive rank of Air Chief Marshal on the afternoon of October 31, 2026, for a tenure extending through December 31, 2028. He succeeds Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who superannuates from service on October 31 after completing his tenure.
Commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986, Air Marshal Dixit is an Experimental Test Pilot and Qualified Flying Instructor with over 3,500 hours of flying experience across diverse platforms, including the Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Jaguar, and LCA Tejas. Over a career spanning nearly four decades, he participated in key operational missions such as Operation Safed Sagar and Operation Rakshak. Widely recognized for championing domestic military manufacturing, his leadership is expected to further advance the government’s Aatmanirbharta initiatives across indigenous aircraft programs.
