New Delhi, November 1: Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit on Sunday set out his priorities for the Indian Air Force (IAF) under the acronym 'VAYU', a day after he assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff, succeeding Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, who retired on Saturday after 42 years of service. Dixit was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Parade Ground of the Air Force Station, where he arrived in an electric vehicle, IANS reported.

Source: IANS

"I am deeply honoured to assume command of the Indian Air Force as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff. I thank the President, our Supreme Commander, the Prime Minister and the Raksha Mantri for the trust they have placed in me," Dixit said, adding that he had paid homage at the National War Memorial. "I take over from Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, under whose leadership, in Operation Sindoor, the Air Force displayed what precise and decisive air power can achieve. I thank him for handing over a force in a high state of readiness."

Explaining VAYU, Dixit said 'V' stands for 'Vigilance, Victory and Readiness': "Every squadron, every radar, every air defence unit, along with each and every Air Warrior, must be ready to respond at a moment's notice. Restoring our combat strength towards the sanctioned level will also be my foremost task." A parliamentary panel report of December 2024 had put the IAF's fleet at 31 squadrons against a minimum requirement of 42, India Sentinels noted in its report on the address.

Source: India Sentinels

The 'A', he said, is Aatmanirbharta. Dixit identified the Tejas Mk1A and Tejas Mk2 fighters, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), indigenous sensors and Indian weapons as the force's highest priorities. "We will fight with Indian solutions, and we will hold them in numbers that meet sustainment and operational demands. Our responsibility is to fight and win, but most importantly, it is to deter conflict through credible air power," he said.

'Y' stands for 'Yukti' — ingenuity and innovation in doctrine, procedures and technology, including networked, AI-enabled command and control, layered counter-drone defence and the use of near-space as an operational domain. 'U' is 'Unity of Effort': "In step with the vision of JAI — Jointness, Aatmanirbharta and Innovation — we will plan and fight as one along with our Army, our Navy and our National Agencies," he said.

Dixit warned that the character of war is being reshaped by drones, long-range precision weapons, space, cyber, artificial intelligence and the electromagnetic spectrum, and said the Air Force must keep transforming into the force India will need in the next decade while always remaining ready to fight and win. He also said the welfare, training and safety of Air Warriors, Agniveervayu personnel, civilian staff, veterans and their families would have his personal attention, and closed with a message to citizens: "Trust that your Air Force is vigilant, ready and resolute."

Dixit, a fighter pilot and experimental test pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours, was commissioned into the IAF's fighter stream on December 6, 1986. He served as Vice Chief of the Air Staff immediately before his elevation, and earlier held the appointment of Chief of Integrated Defence Staff during Operation Sindoor. His tenure as Chief of the Air Staff runs until December 31, 2028, according to the Ministry of Defence announcement of his appointment.