Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit to be next Vice Chief of IAF, relinquishes CISC appointment

New Delhi: Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, a senior military officer with over 3,300 hours of flying experience, is set to be the next Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS).

He will take charge on July 1, succeeding Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, an official said on Tuesday.

Air Marshal Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1986. He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla; Defence Services Staff College (Bangladesh) and National Defence College, New Delhi, the defence ministry earlier said.


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The air force officer is a "Qualified Flying Instructor and Experimental Test Pilot with over 3,300 hours of flying experience on over 20 types of aircraft, including Mirage-2000, MiG-21 & Jaguar," the ministry said.

Before being appointed as VCAS, he was serving as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS). He assumed the appointment in May 2025.

Air Marshal Dixit has also commanded a premier fighter training base in the Southern Sector, where his leadership led to the base being adjudged the best in the Command.

"His tenure at #HQ_IDS was defined by landmark contributions that have reshaped the contours of integrated defence playing a pivotal role in #OperationSindoor, a defining moment in India's #NationalSecurity calculus; steering the release of 20 Joint Doctrines and Primers that institutionalised #TriServices thought; conceptualising #RanSamwad 2025 & 2026, an unprecedented Military Dialogue platform; orchestrating the Combined and Joint Commanders Conferences #CCC 2025 & 2026; and anchoring the formulation of Defence Forces Vision 2047 - a transformative roadmap for a technology-driven, integrated and future-ready military," the HQ IDS posted on X.

Outgoing VCAS Air Marshal Kapoor, who assumed the appointment on January 1, was accorded a guard of honour as part of a ceremonial farewell held on the premises of the Vayu Bhawan here.

He later also visited the National War Memorial where he laid a wreath to honour the country's bravehearts.

Air Marshal Kapoor graduated from the National Defence Academy in December 1985 and was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in the fighter stream of the Flying Branch on December 6, 1986.

Meanwhile, Air Marshal Tejinder Singh is set to be the next CISC, according to officials.