The Centre has appointed Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit as the next Chief of the Indian Air Force. He will take over on October 31, when the present IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, superannuates.Air Marshal Dixit is presently serving as Vice Chief of the IAF.Born on December 9, 1966, Air Marshal Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1986. Prior to assuming charge as Vice Chief of the IAF, Air Marshal Dixit served as the tri-services Chief of Integrated Defence Staff.He has commanded the IAF’s Central Command.Air Marshal Dixit has more than 3,500 hours of extensive flying experience on various aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, various variants of MiG, Jaguar, Hawk and Tejas. He is an Experimental Test Pilot and a Qualified Flying Instructor.During his service career spanning approximately four decades, he has been actively involved in numerous operations and exercises, including Op-Safed Sagar, Op-Rakshak and Op-Sindoor.The Air Marshal has held a number of field and staff appointments. He commanded his squadron at Gwalior in the Western Sector and a premier fighter training base in the Southern Sector. The operational capability of the Indian Air Force has improved with the contribution of the Air Officer in various capacities, the Ministry of Defence said.The Air Marshal is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Staff Service College (Bangladesh) and National Defence College.He was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2026 in recognition of his exemplary and distinguished service.