Monthly Archives: October 2022

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit on Saturday assumed charge as the 29th chief of the Indian Air Force succeeding Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, who superannuated after 42 years of service.

The new IAF Chief takes over as the force is at the cusp of a major modernisation drive. Following Operation Sindoor, the Defence Ministry approved upgrades in communications, surveillance, air defence, drones and fighter jets, with inductions expected over the coming years.

The IAF fighter strength has fallen to 29 squadrons against a sanctioned 42, and 36-40 jets are needed annually. Three routes are under way: The first Tejas Mark1A squadron is expected within months; a deal for procuring 114 Rafale jets is expected this fiscal; and a 5th-generation jet is being considered as a stop-gap option since the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft is a decade away.

The IAF has issued a roadmap seeking indigenous drone propulsion and GPS-denied navigation. The last S-400 air defence squadron is expected to arrive next year, and five more systems have in-principle approval of the Ministry. A dedicated IAF satellite has been cleared, the networking system called the IACCS is being upgraded to cut down sensor-to-shooter time, and Airbus A321-based surveillance aircraft are being developed.

Among his first challenges are the proposed theatre commands, where the IAF opposes dividing its fighter assets, and the exit of the first 2,850 Agniveers, of whom 25% will be retained. Their successful placement matters for the morale of later batches.

Air Chief Marshal Dixit is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF in December 1986.

Over a career spanning four decades, ACM Dixit has a rich experience across diverse domains such as operations, flight testing, capability development and joint services assignments.

The IAF Chief is an accomplished fighter pilot, qualified flying instructor and experimental test pilot, with over 3,300 hours of flying experience on a wide range of aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, various MiG variants, the Jaguar and several transport aircraft

He is recognised for his contribution to the modernisation of the Indian Air Force and was instrumental in finalising the Jaguar and MiG-27 upgrade projects and in the completion of the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) and Final Operational Clearance (FOC) activities of the Tejas fighter jets.

His operational command assignments include command of a Mirage-2000 squadron, a Forward Base Support Unit in the Western Sector and Air Force Station Bidar, a premier fighter training base of the IAF.

He commanded the Central Air Command and later served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee during Operation Sindoor.

Prior to assuming charge as Chief of the Air Staff, he served as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff.

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit is a graduate of the Defence Services Command and Staff College, Bangladesh, and the National Defence College, New Delhi.

Earlier in the day Air Chief Marshal AP Singh handed over command and inspected a Guard of Honour at the Air Force Station New Delhi (AFND) – the same station which has been in the news as the Urban Affairs Ministry surveyed the Air Force Sports complex and it led to its closure for members. The sports complex is co-located with the AFND. The outgoing Chief also laid a wreath at the National War Memorial.

On October 31, 2026, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, the outgoing hugely popular Chief of the Air Staff, inspected the ceremonial guard of honour and paid homage at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.

He later handed over command of the Indian Air Force to Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, marking a significant transition in leadership.

IMAGE: Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh inspects the ceremonial guard of honour at the National War Memorial in New Delhi on Saturday. Photograph: @IAF_MCC X/ANI Photo

IMAGE: Air Chief Marshal A P Singh pays homage to the bravehearts at the National War Memorial. Photograph: @IAF_MCC X/ANI Photo

IMAGE: Air Chief Marshal A P Singh takes a salute as he inspects the ceremonial guard of honour at the National War Memorial. Photograph: @IAF_MCC X/ANI Photo

IMAGE: Air Chief Marshal A P Singh hands over command of the Indian Air Force to Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit in New Delhi on Saturday. Photograph: @IAF_MCC X/ANI Photo

In office 30 September 2024 – 31 October 2026
President	Droupadi Murmu
Minister of Defence	Rajnath Singh
Preceded by	Vivek Ram Chaudhari
Succeeded by	Ashutosh Dixit
47th Vice Chief of the Air Staff
In office 1 February 2023 – 30 September 2024
Chief of Air Staff	Vivek Ram Chaudhari
Preceded by	Sandeep Singh
Succeeded by	Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Air Command
In office 1 July 2022 – 31 January 2023
Chief of Air Staff	Vivek Ram Chaudhari
Preceded by	Richard John Duckworth
Succeeded by	Ravi Gopal Krishana Kapoor
Personal details
Born	27 October 1964 (age 62) New Delhi, India
Spouse	Sarita Singh[1]
Education	National Defence Academy Indian Air Force Academy
Military service
Allegiance	India
Branch/service	Indian Air Force
Years of service	21 December 1984 – 31 October 2026[2]
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Unit	No. 22 Squadron
Commands	Central Air Command2 Air Defence Control CentreNo. 22 Squadron
Battles/wars	Kargil WarOperation ParakramOperation Sindoor
Service Number	17695[2]
Awards	Param Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Meda

Dates of rank

He is succeeded by Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM, previously Vice Chief of the Air Staff, who assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff from the afternoon of 31 October 2026

Acknowledging his predecessor, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, the new chief, lauded the IAF’s decisive performance during Operations Sindoor and thanked him for handing over a force in a high state of combat-readiness

In his first address after taking over as the 29th Chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit on Sunday laid out an ambitious operational vision centered on tech-driven warfare, indigenous defence production, and jointness across services.

He summed up his command priorities using an acronym VAYU.

Acknowledging his predecessor, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, the new chief, lauded the IAF’s decisive performance during Operations Sindoor and thanked him for handing over a force in a high state of combat-readiness.

Highlighting the complex security landscape, the Air Chief Marshal Dixit emphasised that the character of modern warfare is rapidly evolving through drones, long-range precision strikes, space, cyber, artificial intelligence, and the electromagnetic spectrum. “The Air Force, while transforming into the force that India will need in the next decade, must always be ready to fight and win,” he stressed.

Outline of the VAYU roadmap for the Indian Air Force is:

V – Vigilance and Readiness: Maintaining round-the-clock operational readiness across every squadron, radar unit, and air warrior, while prioritizing the restoration of combat strength to sanctioned levels.

A – Aatmanirbharta (Self-Reliance): Accelerating indigenous defense projects including Tejas Mk1A, Mk II, and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), alongside Indian sensors and weaponry to sustain operational demands.

Y – Yukti (Ingenuity & Innovation): Harnessing AI-enabled command networks, layered counter-drone systems, responsive maintenance, force protection, and near-space operations to deter conflicts through credible air power.

U – Unity of Effort: Deepening integration with the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and national agencies under the jointness vision (JAI) to ensure seamless unified operations from the planning phase.

Concluding his address, the Air Chief pledged personal attention to the training, welfare, and dignity of air warriors, Agniveer personnel, veterans while assuring the nation of the force’s unyielding commitment to the IAF motto:

Earlier in the day, the Air Chief paid homage at the National War Memorial to honor fallen bravehearts before formally assuming command. He expressed gratitude to the Supreme Commander, President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for their trust.

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, PVSM, AVSM is a former four star air officer of the Indian Air Force. He last served as the 28th Chief of the Air Staff.^[3][4] He was previously serving as the 47th Vice Chief of the Air Staff.^[5] He earlier served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Air Command^[6] and as the Senior Air Staff Officer at the Eastern Air Command.^[7]

Early life and education

He is an alumnus of S.B.M. School, Delhi and later the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Air Force Academy, Dundigal. He is also an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and National Defence College, New Delhi.^[8]

Military career

The air officer was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 21 December 1984 from the Air Force Academy, Dundigal. In a distinguished career spanning across 38 years, he has tenanted various staff and instructional appointments. He has flown a variety of fighter and trainer aircraft with more than 5000 hours of operational flying. He is a Qualified Flying Instructor and an experimental test pilot with service flying on a variety of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft.^[5] As Wing Commander, he commanded the No. 22 squadron, then made up of the MiG-27 fighter aircraft.^[9] He spearheaded the MiG-29 Upgrade Project Management Team at Moscow, Russia and was instrumental in flight testing of the HAL Tejas. He served as the Chief Test Pilot at Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment.

After being promoted to the rank of Air Vice Marshal, he served as the Project Director at National Flight Test Center, Aeronautical Development Agency and as the Air Officer Commanding of 2 Air Defence Control Centre at Gandhinagar.^[2]

After being promoted to the rank of Air Marshal, he was appointed as the Senior Air Staff Officer of the Eastern Air Command at Shillong. A year later, on 1 July 2022, he took over as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Air Command succeeding Air Marshal Richard John Duckworth who superannuated from service on 30 June 2022.^[6][10]

On 1 February 2023, Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh took over as the 47th Vice Chief of the Air Staff succeeding Air Marshal Sandeep Singh when the latter superannuated from service on 31 January 2023.^[11] As VCAS, he was at the forefront of the largest ever multinational Air Exercise Tarang Shakti held in India that was concluded in September 2024. In a significant message on the importance and the efficiency of India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, he flew extensively during the drill including a sortie with VCOAS Lieutenant General N. S. Raja Subramani and VCNS Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan.^[12]

Chief of the Air Staff

On 21 September 2024, the Government of India appointed Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh as the next Chief of the Air Staff.^[13] On 30 September 2024, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh took over as the 28th Chief of the Air Staff succeeding Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari who superannuated after more than four decades of service.^[3][4] In February 2025, during Aero India 2025, he had criticised Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for delays in delivering of the Tejas fighter aircraft.^[14] He has also supported the procurement of indigenously designed defence systems over imports from international companies.^[15]

He superannuated on 31 October 2026 after more than four decades of service to the nation and was succeeded by Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit.^[16]

Personal life

He is married to Sarita Singh and the couple has a son and a daughter.^[17] He is a keen squash player.