Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, a veteran fighter pilot with extensive experience, has been appointed as the new head of the Indian Air Force’s Central Air Command. He succeeds Air Marshal RGK Kapoor, who retired on Saturday. Dixit’s appointment comes at a time when the IAF is focusing on modernization and self-reliance initiatives, highlighted by the recent clearance for production of Astra Mark 1 air-to-air missiles.