Ace fighter and test pilot Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has been appointed as next Vice Chief of the Air Staff and will assume his new charge on July 1. Presently as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) at Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff, the officer has played a key role in enhancing the jointness in the defence forces as they move towards Theaterisation. Air Marshal Dixit has also been instrumental in promoting indigenous fighter projects in the Air Force during his different stints in the Air Headquarters.Read more: Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit appointed as next Indian Air Force Vice ChiefKey role in defence reforms and jointnessCurrently serving as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, Air Marshal Dixit has played an important role in enhancing jointness among the armed forces as India moves towards the theatre command structure. His tenure has focused on improving coordination and integration across the Army, Navy and Air Force.Contribution to indigenous fighter programmesDuring various assignments at Air Headquarters, Air Marshal Dixit has been closely associated with promoting indigenous fighter aircraft programmes and advancing the Air Force's modernisation efforts. He has contributed to capability enhancement initiatives and the induction of advanced technologies into the force.Distinguished flying careerCommissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986, Air Marshal Dixit is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, the Defence Services Staff College in Bangladesh and the National Defence College in New Delhi.A Qualified Flying Instructor and Experimental Test Pilot, he has logged over 3,300 flying hours on more than 20 types of aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, MiG-21 and Jaguar.Leadership in training and testingAir Marshal Dixit has commanded a premier fighter training base in the Southern Air Command, where his leadership helped the base earn recognition as the best in the command.As a test pilot and later Commanding Officer of the Flight Test Squadron at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), Bengaluru, he was involved in several indigenous development and upgrade programmes. These included avionics upgrades for the Jaguar and MiG-27 fighter aircraft.Role in major fighter acquisition programmeAs Director of Air Staff Requirements, Air Marshal Dixit played a significant role in planning and conducting the trials for the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) programme, one of the Indian Air Force's most important fighter acquisition projects.