DELHI: Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit took over as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff monday. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, he was commissioned in the fighter stream on 6 December 1986. He is a graduate of the Staff Course, Bangladesh and the National Defence College, New Delhi.

The Air Marshal is a qualified flying instructor as well as an experimental test pilot, with over 3300 hours of flying experience on fighter, trainer and transport aircraft. He participated in Operation Safed Sagar and Rakshak.

Air Marshal Dixit commanded a Mirage 2000 Squadron, a frontline fighter base in the Western sector, as well as a premier fighter training base. He has earlier served as Principal Director of Air Staff Requirement, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Projects) & Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Plans) at Air Headquarters.

The Air Officer has also been the Air Defence Commander of Southern Air Command and was Senior Air Staff Officer, at South Western Air Command prior to taking over as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff.