Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia Named Next IAF Vice Chief, to Assume Charge on November 1

New Delhi, October 30, 2026: Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia, AVSM, VM, has been named the next Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) of the Indian Air Force, with the appointment taking effect from November 1, 2026. The Ministry of Defence announced the decision on Friday, confirming a key leadership change at the top of the IAF. Walia currently serves as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the Eastern Air Command.

He will succeed Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, who is scheduled to take over as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on October 31, 2026. The transition places Walia in one of the service’s most important operational and administrative posts at a time of change in senior leadership.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Air Marshal Walia was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on June 11, 1988. Over nearly four decades in uniform, he has accumulated extensive operational, command and strategic experience across the service.

Walia is a qualified fighter pilot who can fly all variants of the MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, Jaguar and Su-30MKI aircraft. His familiarity with several generations of combat aircraft reflects a long career closely tied to the IAF’s fighter operations and combat readiness.

During his service, he has held a range of significant command and staff appointments. Among them, he commanded a frontline fighter squadron and also led the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE), a key IAF institution responsible for shaping air combat tactics and operational training.

He has also served as Air Officer Commanding of Air Force Station Bareilly, headed the Directorate of Air Staff Inspection (DASI), and held the post of Senior Air Staff Officer at Eastern Air Command. These appointments have given him experience in operational leadership, standards oversight and higher-level air command functions.

His service record also includes international and staff exposure beyond India. Air Marshal Walia served as Defence Attaché at the Indian Embassy in Japan and South Korea. He has completed the Advanced Command and Staff Course in the United Kingdom and attended the National Defence College in Bangladesh, adding to his background in military strategy, defence cooperation and security affairs.

Along with his professional military career, Walia has a strong academic profile. He is an avid reader and holds three postgraduate degrees in Defence and Strategic Studies. His academic training, combined with his operational experience, has been part of his professional development through the years.

He has been recognised twice for distinguished service. Air Marshal Walia received the Vayu Sena Medal in 2008 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2018.

His elevation to Vice Chief of the Air Staff comes as the Indian Air Force prepares for a leadership handover, with Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit set to assume charge as Air Chief on October 31. Walia will take over the following day, bringing decades of fighter aviation, command and strategic experience to the post.