Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia will take over on Sunday; he is currently commanding the Eastern Air Command, headquartered in Shillong

Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia has been appointed as the Vice-Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF). He will replace Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, who has been elevated to the post of IAF Chief.

Air Marshal Walia will take over on Sunday, November 1, while Air Marshal Dixit will assume charge on Saturday, October 31.

Air Marshal Walia is currently commanding the Eastern Air Command, headquartered in Shillong. He was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF in June 1988. During his flying career, he has qualified on various fighter aircraft, including the MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, Jaguar and Su-30MKI. In a career spanning nearly four decades, he has held several important command and staff appointments.

He has commanded a frontline fighter squadron, the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE), and has served as the Air Officer Commanding of Air Force Station Bareilly.

He has attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course in the UK and the National Defence College in Bangladesh. He has also headed the IAF’s Directorate of Air Staff Inspection (DASI), served as Defence Attaché at the Indian Embassy in Japan and South Korea, and held the position of Senior Air Staff Officer at Eastern Air Command.

An avid reader, Air Marshal Walia holds three postgraduate degrees in Defence and Strategic Studies. In recognition of his distinguished service, he was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2008 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2018.