India, Oct. 6 -- Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has been appointed as the new Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the government announced on Tuesday.

Dixit, currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, will take over as the Chief of Air Staff on October 31, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who is set to retire on the same day. He will assume the rank of Air Chief Marshal.

Dixit will become the 29th Chief of the Indian Air Force. An experienced fighter pilot, he was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF on December 6, 1986, and has more than 3,500 hours of flying experience. He is also an Experimental Test Pilot and a Qualified Flying Instructor.

During his career, Dixit has flown several aircraft, includi...