Air Marshal Walia takes over as Air Chief, Eastern Air Command

Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia on Sunday assumed charge as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Headquarters Eastern Air Command here in Meghalaya, officials said.
Walia succeeds Air Marshal Surat Singh retired on January 31, after 39 years of stellar service in the Indian Air Force.
Commissioned in June 11, 1988, Walia is a qualified fighter pilot 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. Walia 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 and instrument rating instructor & examiner.
Apart from commanding a fighter squadron, TACDE, and key IAF bases, Walia has held numerous key appointments at Air headquarters and Command headquarters.
Walia has undergone the Advance Command & Staff Course in the UK and the National Defence College in Bangladesh.
He has served as the Defence Attache at the Embassy of Japan and South Korea. He tenanted the appointment of Air Commodore, Directorate of Air Staff Inspection (DASI), Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Training) at Air HQ and Air Defence Commander, Western Air Command headquarters. Prior to taking over as.AOC-in-C, EAC, he was Senior Air Staff Officer at HQ EAC.