New IAF Chief Ashutosh Dixit Sets VAYU Priorities for Combat Strength and Self-Reliance

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit took over as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force on 1 November 2026, succeeding Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh. In his first address he stated that the force’s priorities could be summed up in one word: VAYU. The letters stand for vigilance and readiness, Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance), Yukti (ingenuity) and unity of effort.

On vigilance he said every squadron, radar, air-defence unit and air warrior must be ready to respond at a moment’s notice. Restoring combat strength toward the sanctioned level of 42 fighter squadrons is his foremost task. The IAF currently operates well below that number after the retirement of MiG-21 squadrons and delays in the induction of the Tejas Mk1A. Several more squadrons are scheduled to phase out by the end of the decade.

Under Aatmanirbharta, Dixit named the Tejas Mk1A and Mk2, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), Indian sensors and Indian weapons as the highest priorities. He said the force would fight with Indian solutions fielded in numbers sufficient to sustain operations. The goal, he added, is to deter conflict through credible air power.

Yukti covers innovation in doctrine, procedures and technology. Areas listed for continuous attention include 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. Unity of effort means planning and fighting as one with the Army, Navy and national agencies, consistent with the national vision of jointness, Aatmanirbharta and innovation.

Dixit paid homage at the National War Memorial after assuming charge. The Press Information Bureau released a statement confirming the VAYU framework. The security environment, he noted, remains demanding, with new technologies including drones, long-range precision weapons, space, cyber and the electromagnetic spectrum reshaping the character of conflict. The force must remain ready to fight and win while it transforms for the next decade.