Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia takes over as Indian Air Force vice-chief
Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia takes charge as the next Vice Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force on Sunday, 1 November 2026. India’s Ministry of Defence announced the appointment on Friday, 30 October.
Walia, who has led the Eastern Air Command as its Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, succeeds Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit. Dixit takes over as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on Saturday, 31 October, following the retirement of Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh. The two changes complete a handover at the very top of the force in a single weekend.
Walia is a National Defence Academy alumnus who joined the fighter stream of the air force on 11 June 1988. In a career of nearly four decades, he has flown the MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, Jaguar and Su-30MKI. He has commanded a frontline fighter squadron, the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment, and Air Force Station Bareilly, and has served as a defence attaché in Japan and South Korea. He was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2008 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2018.
Why it matters
The vice-chief is the air force’s second-in-command, so the appointment puts a career fighter pilot at the heart of the service’s leadership just as a new chief takes over. Walia arrives at Air Headquarters after leading the Eastern Air Command, which covers India’s eastern borders, one of the air force’s most sensitive areas.
What happens next
Walia takes up the post at Air Headquarters in New Delhi on Sunday. With Dixit becoming chief the day before, the Indian Air Force’s new leadership team will be in place by the end of the weekend.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://www.indiastrategic.in/air-marshal-inderpal-singh-walia-appointed-vice-chief-of-air-staff/ (India Strategic, 31 Oct 2026)
- https://hiindia.com/air-marshal-inderpal-singh-walia-appointed-next-vice-chief-of-indian-air-force/ (IANS via hi INDiA, 30 Oct 2026)
- https://ibgnews.com/2026/10/30/air-marshal-inderpal-singh-walia-appointed-as-the-vice-chief-of-the-air-staff/ (IBG News / Press Information Bureau, 30 Oct 2026)
