Air Marshal Walia takes charge as AOC-in-C Eastern Air Command

Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia connected Sunday (January 1, 2026) assumed complaint arsenic Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Air Command of the Indian Air Force (IAF), an authoritative said.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Mr. Walia is qualified connected each variants of MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, Jaguar and Sukhoi-30 MKI. “Commissioned successful the combatant pitchy watercourse of the IAF successful June 1988, helium has implicit 3,200 hours of accident-free flying experience,” the Defence authoritative said.

Mr. Walia has besides served arsenic the Defence attache astatine the Indian Embassy successful Japan and South Korea. Walia succeeds Air Marshal Surat Singh, who superannuated connected January 31, aft 39 years of service.

Before taking implicit arsenic the AOC-in-C, Eastern Air Command, helium was elder aerial unit serviceman astatine headquarters, EAC, the authoritative said. On the aforesaid day, Air Marshal Devendra P Hirani took complaint arsenic the elder aerial unit serviceman astatine the Eastern Air Command.

Commissioned successful the IAF successful December 1990, helium is simply a qualified flying teacher with astir 5,000 hours of flying acquisition connected assorted types of helicopters and trainer aircraft, the authoritative connection said.