Who Is the Next Indian Air Force Chief? Ashutosh Dixit to Take Charge on October 31
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit is the next Chief of the Indian Air Force. The government announced his appointment on October 6, 2026. He will take charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff in the rank of Air Chief Marshal from the afternoon of October 31. Until then, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh remains the IAF chief; Singh is due to retire on October 31.
Dixit currently serves as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, a post he assumed on July 1, 2026. His appointment places an officer with fighter-flying, test-piloting, command and inter-service experience at the head of the force.
Who is Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit?
Dixit was commissioned into the IAF’s fighter stream on December 6, 1986. He is an experimental test pilot and a qualified flying instructor, with more than 3,500 flying hours. Aircraft he has flown include the Mirage 2000, Jaguar, Hawk, Tejas, Kiran, IL-78 and variants of the MiG.
Before becoming vice chief, Dixit served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, a role involving coordination across India’s armed services. He has also headed the IAF’s Central Air Command and served as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff. His command assignments include a frontline fighter base in the western sector and a fighter training base in the southern sector.
His professional education includes the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Command and Staff College in Bangladesh, and the National Defence College. His service awards include the Vayu Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Param Vishisht Seva Medal.
What is known about his operational experience?
The Ministry of Defence lists Dixit’s involvement in Operation Safed Sagar, Operation Rakshak and Operation Sindoor among his career experience. Its appointment announcement does not specify his individual duties in those operations. His record also includes participation in the Cope India exercise, according to a government account published when he became vice chief.
His flying and command background is only part of his career. As an experimental test pilot, flying instructor and senior staff officer, Dixit has worked across aircraft evaluation, pilot training and Air Force leadership. Those assignments provide a broader picture of the experience he brings to the chief’s post without assuming a particular role for him in any operation.
Who is the current IAF chief?
As of October 7, 2026, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh is the current Chief of the Air Staff. Dixit has been appointed to succeed him, but the change has not yet taken effect. The announced transition is for the afternoon of October 31, 2026, when Singh retires and Dixit takes charge.
