AIR Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit -- an accomplished fighter pilot with over 3,500 flying hours across 20 aircraft types -- assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on Saturday, taking command as India actively works to boost its military capabilities amid complex regional security environment. He succeeds Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, who retired from service after an illustrious 42-year career marked by his pivotal role in executing Operation Sindoor -- a mission that underscored the Indian Air Force’s operational precision, combat capability, and strategic resolve. “Beyond operational leadership, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh will be remembered for his deep and personal connect with air warriors across the length and breadth of the organisation,” the IAF said in a statement, adding his interactions with personnel at the grassroots level reflected his conviction that the strength of the force rests in its people. The IAF accorded a ceremonial guard of honour to Air Chief Marshal Singh at the Race Course Air Force Station before he handed over the baton to Dixit.

 

Air Chief Marshal Dixit, known for his strategic planning and who played a key role during Operation Sindoor, was serving as the Vice Chief of the force. As Chief of Air Staff, his focus is likely to be on modernisation of the force. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF on December 6, 1986.