Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia assumed the appointment of Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command, IAF on 01 February 2026. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned in the Fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 11 June 1988.
The Air Officer is qualified on all variants of the MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, Jaguar and Su-30 MKI. He has over 3200 hrs of accident/ incident-free flying. In a career spanning over three decades, the Air Officer has tenanted various Command and Staff appointments. He has commanded a MiG-27 Squadron, the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) and was Air Officer Commanding of a frontline base. He is a Fighter Strike Leader, an Instrument Rating Instructor & Examiner (IRIE), has undergone the Advance Command & Staff Course in the UK and the National Defence College in Bangladesh. He has served as the Defence Attaché at the Embassy of Japan and South Korea. He tenanted the appointment of Air Commodore, Directorate of Air Staff Inspection (DASI), the Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Training) at Air HQ and Air Defence Commander, HQ WAC. Prior to taking over as AOC-in-C, EAC, he was Senior Air Staff Officer at HQ EAC.
In recognition of his distinguished service, he was awarded Vayu Sena Medal (VM) in 2008 and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) in 2018.
Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia succeeds Air Marshal Surat Singh, who superannuated on 31 January 2026, after 39 years of distinguished and devoted service to the nation.
