Srinagar | Oct, 30: The Ministry of Defence on Friday appointed Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia as the next Vice-Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS). Walia, who is presently serving as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Air Command, will succeed Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, who is scheduled to take over as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on October 31.
Reports said Walia, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on June 11, 1988. His career spans nearly four decades, during which he has served in several important operational, command, and staff appointments, and he will officially assume charge on November 1.
A qualified fighter pilot, sources said he has flown MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, Jaguar, and Su-30 MKI aircraft, logging over 3,200 hours of accident- and incident-free flying. During his career, he commanded a MiG-27 fighter squadron, the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE), and a frontline air base at Bareilly. He is also a Fighter Strike Leader and an Instrument Rating Instructor and Examiner. Walia has held several senior appointments at Air Headquarters, including Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Training) and Air Commodore at the Directorate of Air Staff Inspection, alongside serving as Air Defence Commander at Western Air Command headquarters.
His other assignments include serving as Defence Attache at the Indian embassies in Japan and South Korea, as well as undergoing the Advanced Command and Staff Course in the United Kingdom and the National Defence College in Bangladesh. Reports said that before taking over as the head of Eastern Air Command in February 2026, he served as its Senior Air Staff Officer. In recognition of his distinguished service, Walia was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2008 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2018.
