{"id":30821495,"date":"2026-11-02T10:08:53","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T09:08:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/iaf-chief-ashutosh-dixit-vayu-tejas-amca-first-address-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T10:09:22","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T09:09:22","slug":"iaf-chief-ashutosh-dixit-vayu-tejas-amca-first-address-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/iaf-chief-ashutosh-dixit-vayu-tejas-amca-first-address-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"IAF Chief Ashutosh Dixit Unveils VAYU, Puts Tejas and AMCA First"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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On the morning of Sunday 1 November 2026, the new head of the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/indian-air-force\/\">Indian Air Force<\/a> laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, then turned to his mother, Nirmala Dixit, and his mother-in-law, Kamla Pandey, saluted them and touched their feet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Later that day, at a Guard of Honour at Air Force Station New Delhi, IAF chief Ashutosh Dixit gave his first address as Chief of the Air Staff. He boiled his agenda down to a single word, VAYU, the Hindi word for air, and made one promise stand out: to rebuild a fighter force that has fallen well below the strength the government says it needs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 26px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Who:<\/strong> Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, 29th Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Took charge:<\/strong> Saturday 31 October 2026, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>First address:<\/strong> Sunday 1 November 2026, Guard of Honour at Air Force Station New Delhi<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Agenda:<\/strong> VAYU: Vigilance and Readiness, Aatmanirbharta, Yukti (ingenuity), Unity of effort<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Foremost task:<\/strong> Restoring combat strength towards the sanctioned level<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Top programmes:<\/strong> Tejas Mk1A and Mk2, AMCA, Indian sensors and weapons<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Background:<\/strong> Commissioned 6 December 1986; experimental test pilot; previously Vice Chief of the Air Staff<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">From announcement to command<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>When Afterburner reported his <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/ashutosh-dixit-next-indian-air-force-chief-2026\/\">appointment as the next Indian Air Force chief<\/a> on 7 October, Dixit was still Vice Chief of the Air Staff. He formally took over as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on Saturday 31 October, the day Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh retired after more than four decades in uniform.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Singh did not leave quietly. In his <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/iaf-chief-ap-singh-36-40-fighters-a-year-tejas-delay-last-press-conference-2026\/\">final press conference<\/a> in early October he warned that India needs 36 to 40 new fighters a year just to stop its numbers falling. Dixit thanked him on Sunday for handing over &ldquo;a force in a high state of readiness&rdquo; and praised the service&rsquo;s performance under his leadership during Operation Sindoor.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"max-width:550px;margin:0 auto 28px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?id=2116867006838481201&theme=light\" style=\"width:100%;height:560px;border:none;overflow:hidden\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">V and A: readiness and home-built jets<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>&ldquo;Our priorities shall be summed up in one word: VAYU,&rdquo; Dixit told the parade. The V, in his words, stands for Vigilance and Readiness. &ldquo;Every squadron, every radar, every air defence unit, along with each and every air warrior, must be ready to respond at a moment&rsquo;s notice,&rdquo; he said, as reported by ANI and the <em>Hindustan Times<\/em>. (ANI&rsquo;s summary on X, and some reports, render the first pillar as &ldquo;Vigilance, Victory and Readiness&rdquo;.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In the same breath he named his first job: &ldquo;Restoring our combat strength towards the sanctioned level will also be my foremost task.&rdquo; <em>The Tribune<\/em> reports that the service is operating just 29 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/hal-tejas-mk1a-aero-india-2025-flying.jpg\" alt=\"An Indian Air Force HAL Tejas Mk1A light combat aircraft banking in flight with its landing gear down at Aero India 2025\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A HAL Tejas Mk1A flying at Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru. Dixit named the Tejas Mk1A and Mk2 among the Indian Air Force&rsquo;s highest priorities. Photo: Ministry of Defence, Government of India \/ GODL-India<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The A is for Aatmanirbharta, self-reliance, and here he was specific. &ldquo;The Tejas Mk1A and II, the AMCA, Indian sensors and Indian weapons are our highest priority,&rdquo; he said. The <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/hal-tejas\/\">HAL Tejas<\/a> Mk1A is the jet meant to fill the gap fastest: India has ordered 180 of them in two contracts, of 83 and 97 aircraft, but deliveries have been held back, largely by engine supply.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;Our responsibility is to fight and win, but most importantly it is to deter conflict through credible Air Power.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit<\/strong> &mdash; Chief of the Air Staff, first address, 1 November 2026 (via ANI)<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The AMCA, India&rsquo;s twin-engined stealth fighter, is further off still. It is a programme Dixit knows from the inside: during his time as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff from May 2023, the Tejas Mk1A, the Tejas Mk2 and the AMCA all moved forward.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/amca-stealth-fighter-model-aero-india-2021.jpg\" alt=\"A full-scale model of India&amp;rsquo;s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft stealth fighter in digital camouflage at Aero India 2021\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A model of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) on display at Aero India 2021. India&rsquo;s stealth fighter is the other indigenous programme Dixit put at the top of his list. Photo: FlyingDaggers45SQUADRON \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Y and U: ingenuity and jointness<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Y stands for Yukti, which Dixit translated as &ldquo;our ingenuity&rdquo;. He listed what he means by it: networked, AI-enabled command and control, layered counter-drone defence, responsive maintenance, force protection, resilience, and the use of near-space as an operational domain. All of these, he said, will be &ldquo;constantly monitored and progressed&rdquo;.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>U is for Unity of effort. Tying it to the government&rsquo;s JAI vision of Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation, he promised that the air force would &ldquo;plan and fight as one&rdquo; with the Army, the Navy and national agencies. &ldquo;Air power delivers most when it is integrated from the very first plan,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/np0rIYnJ3nk\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">ANI&rsquo;s report on Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit&rsquo;s first address, in which he called restoring combat strength to the sanctioned level his top priority.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>He framed all four letters against a changing battlefield, with drones, long-range precision weapons, space, cyber, AI and the electromagnetic spectrum reshaping what an air force has to do. He also promised personal attention to the training, safety, welfare and dignity of air warriors, Agniveervayu recruits, civilians, veterans and their families.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #d32f2f;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;The Air Force, while transforming into the force that India will need in the next decade, must always be ready to fight and win.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit<\/strong> &mdash; Chief of the Air Staff, first address, 1 November 2026 (via The Tribune)<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A test pilot at the top<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Dixit, who turns 60 in December, was commissioned into the fighter stream on 6 December 1986. He is an experimental test pilot and qualified flying instructor with more than 3,500 flying hours, according to the <em>Hindustan Times<\/em>, on types including the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/mirage-2000\/\">Mirage 2000<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/sepecat-jaguar\/\">Jaguar<\/a>, MiG variants and the Tejas. He re-equipped No. 9 Squadron with Mirage 2000s as its commanding officer and flew in Operation Safed Sagar during the 1999 Kargil war.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"max-width:550px;margin:0 auto 28px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?id=2116738779583295913&theme=light\" style=\"width:100%;height:620px;border:none;overflow:hidden\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>That background shapes how his agenda reads. A pilot who has tested aircraft knows that programmes do not slip in a speech; they slip on the factory floor and the flight line. VAYU sets out what the Indian Air Force wants. Over the coming years Dixit will be judged on whether the Tejas Mk1As actually arrive, in numbers, and whether the squadron count finally stops falling.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: ANI, Hindustan Times, The Tribune, RNA Media, Organiser, Devdiscourse (ANI), Wikipedia (Ashutosh Dixit; HAL Tejas)<\/em><\/p>\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>Who is the current Chief of the Indian Air Force?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit is the 29th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force. He took charge on 31 October 2026, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, and gave his first address as chief at a Guard of Honour at Air Force Station New Delhi on 1 November 2026.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What does VAYU stand for in the Indian Air Force chief&rsquo;s vision?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">In his first address on 1 November 2026, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit said VAYU stands for Vigilance and Readiness, Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance), Yukti (ingenuity) and Unity of effort. Some summaries, including ANI&rsquo;s post on X, render the first pillar as Vigilance, Victory and Readiness.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What are Ashutosh Dixit&rsquo;s priorities as IAF chief?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Ashutosh Dixit said restoring the Indian Air Force&rsquo;s combat strength towards its sanctioned level would be his foremost task. He named the Tejas Mk1A and Mk2, the AMCA stealth fighter, and Indian sensors and weapons as the highest priorities, alongside AI-enabled command and control, counter-drone defence and closer jointness with the Army and Navy.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How many fighter squadrons does the Indian Air Force have?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">According to The Tribune&rsquo;s report on Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit&rsquo;s first address in November 2026, the Indian Air Force is operating 29 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42. Dixit said restoring combat strength towards the sanctioned level would be his foremost task.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How many Tejas Mk1A fighters has India ordered?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">India has ordered 180 HAL Tejas Mk1A fighters in two contracts, the first for 83 aircraft and the second for 97. Deliveries have run behind schedule, largely because of engine supply, and the new IAF chief Ashutosh Dixit has named the Tejas Mk1A among his highest priorities.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is Ashutosh Dixit&rsquo;s flying background?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Ashutosh Dixit was commissioned into the Indian Air Force fighter stream on 6 December 1986. He is an experimental test pilot and qualified flying instructor with more than 3,500 flying hours on types including the Mirage 2000, Jaguar, MiG variants and the Tejas, and he flew in Operation Safed Sagar during the 1999 Kargil war.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who is the current Chief of the Indian Air Force?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit is the 29th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force. 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He is an experimental test pilot and qualified flying instructor with more than 3,500 flying hours on types including the Mirage 2000, Jaguar, MiG variants and the Tejas, and he flew in Operation Safed Sagar during the 1999 Kargil war.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/ashutosh-dixit-next-indian-air-force-chief-2026\/\">Ashutosh Dixit Named Next Indian Air Force Chief<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/iaf-chief-ap-singh-36-40-fighters-a-year-tejas-delay-last-press-conference-2026\/\">IAF Chief A.P. 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first.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":30821410,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30821495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>IAF Chief Ashutosh Dixit Unveils His VAYU Plan | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"IAF chief Ashutosh Dixit took charge on 31 October 2026 and set out his VAYU agenda: rebuild fighter strength and put Tejas and AMCA first.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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