New Indian Air Force Chief ACM Dixit vows to restore combat strength as foremost priority

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has said restoring the Indian Air Force’s combat strength towards its sanctioned level will be his foremost task, as he outlined priorities under the acronym VAYU in his first public address after assuming command.

Speaking after taking over as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on 31 October, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, Dixit paid homage earlier that morning at the National War Memorial to those who made the supreme sacrifice.

ACM Dixit, a fighter pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours, previously served as Vice Chief of the Air Staff and as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff during Operation Sindoor, the 2025 cross-border operation that followed the Pahalgam terror attack. He credited his predecessor for leading the force to demonstrate “what precise and decisive air power can achieve” in that operation and for handing over a force in a high state of readiness.

India’s security environment remains demanding, he said, while the character of war is being reshaped by drones, long-range precision weapons, space, cyber, artificial intelligence and the electromagnetic spectrum.

His priorities, he said, can be summed up in one word: VAYU (Air) “V” stands for Vigilance and Readiness. Every squadron, radar, air defence unit and Air Warrior must be ready to respond at a moment’s notice. Restoring combat strength towards the sanctioned level, widely understood to be around 42 fighter squadrons, against a current figure near 29, will be his foremost task.

“A” is for Aatmanirbharta, or self-reliance. The indigenous Tejas Mk1A and MkII fighters, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), Indian sensors and Indian weapons are the highest priority. “We will fight with Indian solutions, and we will hold them in numbers that meet sustainment and operational demands,” he said. The responsibility is to fight and win, but most importantly to deter conflict through credible air power.

“Y” represents Yukti, or ingenuity. Innovation in doctrine, procedures and technology will be constantly monitored and progressed. This includes networked, AI-enabled command and control; layered counter-drone defence; responsive maintenance; force protection and resilience; and the use of near-space as an operational domain.

“U” stands for Unity of effort. In step with the vision of JAI, Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation, the Air Force will plan and fight as one with the Army, Navy and national agencies. “Air power delivers most when it is integrated from the very first plan.”

Underpinning all of this, Dixit said, are the service’s people: Air Warriors, Agniveervayu, civilians, veterans, Veer Naris and their families. Their training, professional excellence, morale, safety, welfare and dignity will have his personal attention.

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, who assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on 31 October, used an electric vehicle, to arrive for the taking charge ceremony at the parade ground of Air Force Station Delhi. The move is described as embracing sustainable mobility and greener transportation. The step comes as India’s armed forces expand the use of electric vehicles for non-combat duties to cut emissions and operating costs.