1. Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes charge as new IAF chief

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on October 31, succeeding Air Chief Marshal AP Singh. A fighter pilot with more than 3,500 hours of flying experience, Dixit has held key appointments including Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff. He was also involved in the Tejas LCA Mk-I's IOC and FOC activities.

2. Air Marshal Mehtab Singh Deswal takes charge of Eastern Air Command
Air Marshal Mehtab Singh Deswal assumed charge as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force's Eastern Air Command on November 1. A fighter pilot, he has more than 3,200 hours of flying experience and specializes in strike aircraft and air defence roles. He has also served as Air Attaché at the Indian Embassy in Pakistan and as Director General, Weapon Systems, at Air Headquarters.

3. New IAF chief outlines four priorities under ‘VAYU’ vision

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has outlined four priorities for the IAF under the guiding theme VAYU. The four pillars are Vigilance, Victory and Readiness, Aatmanirbharta, Yukti, and Unity of Effort. The priorities include restoring combat strength to sanctioned levels, accelerating indigenous capabilities in platforms, sensors and weapons, expanding AI-enabled command and control and counter-drone capabilities, and strengthening jointness with the Army and Navy.

4. AUSTRAHIND 2026 concludes with joint validation exercise

The fifth edition of the India-Australia joint military exercise AUSTRAHIND concluded on November 1 in Thiruvananthapuram. The exercise involved around 120 personnel each from the Indian and Australian armies and focused on joint sub-conventional operations in island and coastal environments. Training included joint planning, tactical drills, surveillance and reconnaissance, protection of vital installations and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

5. Raksha Rajya Mantri inaugurates VISV 2026

Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth inaugurated VISV 2026, organised by DRDO and CENJOWS at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on October 30. The event focused on showcasing Indian defence capabilities and strengthening international partnerships. Its four pillars are Vision, Innovation, Synergy and Values, with discussions covering defence exports, technical exchanges, co-development, co-production and industrial collaboration.

Chakra Desk

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