New Delhi, 02 November (H.S.): Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia has assumed charge as the 52nd Vice Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force (IAF), following Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit’s appointment as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff.

An accomplished fighter pilot with more than 3,200 hours of flying experience, Air Marshal Walia brings to the position a distinguished career spanning nearly four decades. Commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on June 11, 1988, he has flown several frontline combat aircraft, including the MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, Jaguar and various variants of the Su-30MKI.

Following his assumption of the new appointment, Air Marshal Walia paid homage at the National War Memorial in honour of those who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation. He was also accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, and the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, Air Marshal Walia has also attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course in the United Kingdom and the National Defence College in Bangladesh. He holds three postgraduate degrees in Defence and Strategic Studies.

According to the Ministry of Defence, he is a highly experienced fighter pilot and a qualified Instrument Rating Instructor and Examiner. During his operational career, he commanded No. 222 Squadron and the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE). He also commanded a frontline fighter squadron and served as the Air Officer Commanding of Air Force Station Bareilly.

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

During his tenure as an Air Commodore, he served as Air-1 at Eastern Air Command and subsequently as Air Commodore (Air Staff Inspection) at Air Headquarters in New Delhi. He also headed the Directorate of Air Staff Inspection (DASI) and served as the Defence Attaché at the Indian Embassy in Japan and South Korea.

Before his elevation to the new position, Air Marshal Walia was serving as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Air Command. After his promotion to the rank of Air Marshal, he assumed charge as the Senior Air Staff Officer of Eastern Air Command in Shillong on September 9, 2024.

On February 1, 2026, he took over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Air Command, succeeding Air Marshal Surat Singh, who retired on January 31, 2026.

Air Marshal Walia has now assumed charge as the 52nd Vice Chief of the Air Staff, succeeding Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, who took over as the IAF’s 29th Chief of the Air Staff on October 31.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar