Key Facts

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on 31 October 2026, succeeding Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, who retired after 43 years of service. Outlining his priorities under the acronym VAYU, he said V stands for vigilance and readiness, A for aatmanirbharta (Tejas Mk1A and Mk2, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, Indian sensors and weapons), Y for yukti (innovation in doctrine, AI-enabled command and control, layered counter-drone defence and use of near-space) and U for unity of effort with the Army, Navy and national agencies. His 'foremost task' is restoring combat strength, as the IAF's fighter squadrons have fallen to 29 against a sanctioned 42.

GK Context

The Indian Air Force was established on 8 October 1932 and its motto, 'Nabha Sparsham Deeptam' (touch the sky with glory), is taken from Chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita. The Chief of the Air Staff heads the IAF and is a member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. The AMCA is a planned indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter, while the Tejas Mk1A is the upgraded light combat aircraft built by HAL. Agniveervayu denotes personnel recruited into the IAF under the Agnipath scheme.