Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia takes charge as AOC-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command

New Delhi, Feb 1: Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia assumed charge as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the Indian Air Force’s Eastern Air Command. He took over the appointment on February 1, 2026. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Air Marshal Walia was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on June 11, 1988. He is qualified on multiple fighter aircraft, including all variants of the MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, Jaguar and the Su-30 MKI, and has logged more than 3,200 hours of accident- and incident-free flying. During a career spanning over three decades, he has held several key command and staff appointments. He has commanded a MiG-27 squadron, the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE), and a frontline air base. He is a Fighter Strike Leader and an Instrument Rating Instructor and Examiner.

Air Marshal Walia has also undergone the Advanced Command and Staff Course in the United Kingdom and the National Defence College in Bangladesh. His overseas assignments include serving as Defence Attaché at the Indian embassies in Japan and South Korea.

At Air Headquarters, he has served as Air Commodore in the Directorate of Air Staff Inspection, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Training), and Air Defence Commander at Headquarters Western Air Command. Before assuming his current role, he was the Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters Eastern Air Command.

In recognition of his distinguished service, Air Marshal Walia was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2008 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2018. He succeeds Air Marshal Surat Singh, who superannuated on January 31, 2026, after nearly 39 years of dedicated service to the nation.