A striking contrast in vehicles marked the change of leadership in the Indian Air Force (IAF), as outgoing Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh arrived in a vintage classic car for his Guard of Honour, while his successor, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, embraced electric mobility.
The ceremonial Guard of Honour for AP Singh was held at the Parade Ground, Air Force Station, ahead of the formal handover of command to Dixit. Singh retired after completing 42 years of distinguished service to the nation.
Meanwhile, Dixit, who took charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on Saturday, has switched to an electric vehicle (EV), signalling a move towards sustainable transportation.
Ashutosh Dixit Takes Charge As New Air Chief
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Dixit was commissioned into the Fighter Stream of the IAF on December 6, 1986. With nearly four decades of service, he brings extensive experience as a fighter pilot, Qualified Flying Instructor and Experimental Test Pilot, with over 3,300 hours of flying.
He has served in several important command and leadership positions, including Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command and Vice Chief of the Air Staff. He also played a significant role in aircraft modernisation programmes and the development of the indigenous LCA Tejas.
Before assuming his new office, Dixit laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and paid tribute to his mother, Nirmala Dixit, and mother-in-law, Kamla Pandey.
The contrasting choice of vehicles, a vintage classic car for the outgoing chief and an electric vehicle for the incoming chief, added a memorable visual touch to the leadership transition.
