Rajnath Singh meets new Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, wishes him 'wonderful tenure'

New Delhi: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met the new Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit on Monday and wished him a "wonderful tenure" ahead.

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on Saturday, succeeding Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, who superannuated after 42 years of distinguished service to the nation.

Taking to X, Singh said, "Met with the newly appointed Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Asutosh Dixit. He is a distinguished air warrior known for excellent leadership. I wish him a wonderful tenure ahead."

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit was commissioned into the Fighter Stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986.

Over a career spanning four decades, the Air Chief has rich experience across diverse domains such as Operations, Flight Testing, Capability Development and Joint Staff assignments.

"An accomplished Fighter Pilot, Qualified Flying Instructor and Experimental Test Pilot, he has over 3,300 hours of flying experience on a wide range of aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, various MiG variants, Jaguar and several transport aircraft," the Indian Air Force (IAF) said in a statement.

The IAF said that Air Chief Marshal Dixit is widely 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 LCA Mk-I Tejas.

"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," the force said.

He has served as Air Defence Commander at Southern Air Command, Senior Air Staff Officer at South Western Air Command and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, steering key capability development and procurement initiatives.

He subsequently commanded Central Air Command as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief 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 an accomplished graduate of the Defence Services Command and Staff College, Bangladesh, and the National Defence College, New Delhi. He is a recipient of the Vayu Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Param Vishisht Seva Medal in recognition of his distinguished service to the nation," the IAF said.

Earlier on Sunday, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, addressing the reporters, said he was deeply honoured to take charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff, asserting that the IAF would remain vigilant, continue its transformation and be prepared to respond whenever the nation calls.

Emphasising the need to strengthen the force's operational capabilities, he said the IAF must evolve into a force capable of meeting India's security requirements over the next decade while remaining fully prepared to fight and win. He also identified restoring the Air Force's combat strength towards its sanctioned level as one of his foremost priorities.

Highlighting the challenges facing the country's security environment, the new IAF chief said the nature of warfare was undergoing a significant transformation with the emergence of advanced technologies and new operational domains.

Outlining his vision and priorities for the IAF, Air Chief Marshal Dixit said they could be brought together under the acronym 'VAYU', with each letter representing a key area of focus for the force.

Explaining the first priority, he said 'V' stands for 'Vigilance, Victory and Readiness'. He said the letter 'A' represents 'Aatmanirbharta', underlining the importance of strengthening indigenous defence manufacturing.

Air Chief Marshal Dixit said 'Y' in VAYU stands for 'Yukti'.

The IAF chief said the final letter, 'U', represents 'Unity of Effort', emphasising the need for greater coordination and integration among the three services and other national agencies.

Concluding his remarks, Air Chief Marshal Dixit said the welfare, professional development and safety of Air Warriors, Agniveervayu personnel, civilian staff, veterans, Veer Naris and their families would remain central to his priorities.

Addressing citizens, he reaffirmed the IAF's commitment and said, "To the fellow citizens, trust that your Air Force is vigilant, ready and resolute. Our commitment is clear: to remain ready, keep transforming and delivering whenever the nation calls."

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