Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia takes over as Air Officer Commanding-In-Chief Eastern Air Command

ANI
01 Feb 2026, 23:02 GMT+10

New Delhi [India], February 1 (ANI): Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia assumed the appointment of Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command, IAF on Sunday, Defence Ministry said on Sunday.

He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned in the Fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on June 11, 1988, the Ministry of Defence said in a press release.

The Air Officer is qualified on all variants of the MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, Jaguar and Su-30 MKI. He has over 3,200 hours of accident- and incident-free flying. In a career spanning over three decades, the Air Officer has tenanted various Command and Staff appointments. He has commanded a MiG-27 Squadron, the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE), and served as Air Officer Commanding of a frontline base.

He is a Fighter Strike Leader, an Instrument Rating Instructor & Examiner (IRIE), has undergone the Advanced Command & Staff Course in the UK and the National Defence College in Bangladesh. He has served as the Defence Attache at the Embassy of Japan and South Korea.

He tenanted the appointment of Air Commodore, Directorate of Air Staff Inspection (DASI), the Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Training) at Air HQ and Air Defence Commander, HQ WAC. Prior to taking over as AOC-in-C, EAC, he was Senior Air Staff Officer at HQ EAC.

In recognition of his distinguished service, he was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal (VM) in 2008 and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) in 2018.

Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia succeeds Air Marshal Surat Singh, who superannuated on January 31, 2026, after 39 years of distinguished and devoted service to the nation. (ANI)

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