Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia Appointed as Vice Chief of the Air Staff

Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia, AVSM and VM, has been appointed as the next Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) of the Indian Air Force (IAF), taking up his responsibilities from 1 November 2026. He is at present the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Air Command. With almost four decades of experience, Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia has been associated with many operational, command, and staff appointments such as commander of a frontline fighter squadron and Defence Attaché in Japan and South Korea.

Appointment of Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia as Vice Chief of the Air Staff

Ministry of Defence has made an announcement regarding the appointment of Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia as Vice Chief of the Air Staff on 30 October 2026.

He will join his position as Vice Chief of the Air Staff from 1 November 2026 and would be taking over the post from Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, who will assume charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on 31 October 2026.

Walia is presently the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Air Command.

Military Career and Professional Experience

Air Marshal Walia is an alumnus of the National Defense Academy (NDA). He was commissioned as a fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force on 11 June 1988.

Throughout his service, he got the experience to fly the following fighter jets:

• MiG-21
• MiG-23
• MiG-27
• SEPECAT Jaguar
• Su-30MKI

The experience he got flying the various fighter jets can be attributed to his extensive experience in the operations of combat aviation in the IAF.

Important Command and Staff Assignments

Air Marshal Walia has had a number of important assignments during his military career, namely,

• Commander of a front-line fighter squadron.
• Commander of the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE).
• Air Officer Commanding of Air Force Station Bareilly.
• Head of the Directorate of Air Staff Inspection (DASI).
• Senior Air Staff Officer of Eastern Air Command.
• Defence Attaché of Indian Embassy in Japan & South Korea.
• Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Air Command.

Educational and Professional Qualifications

Air Marshal Walia has a robust educational qualification in defence and strategic studies.

He graduated from the National Defence Academy and successfully underwent the following professional courses,

• Advanced Command and Staff Course in the UK.
• National Defence College (NDC) in Bangladesh.

In addition to the above, he has got three post-graduate qualifications in Defence and Strategic Studies.

Military Decorations and Awards

For his distinguished service, Air Marshal Walia has been awarded two military awards such as,

• Vayu Sena Medal (VM) in 2008 for distinguished service in the Indian Air Force
• Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) in 2018 for distinguished service of exceptional order

The above awards acknowledge the contribution made by him to the Indian Air Force and the defence services of the country.