Top Sukhoi Combat Pilot Takes Over Defence Of India’s North East, Supported By Another Senior Officer

India’s senior Sukhoi Su-30MKI pilot Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia on Sunday (February 1, 2026) took charge of the key responsibility of defending the airspace over India’s Northeastern region.

The Air Marshal assumed the responsibility as Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Eastern Air Command Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, bringing with him varied experience as a fighter pilot, having qualified on multiple jets in the inventory.

The Air Officer is qualified on now-retired Soviet-era and Russian-origin MiG-21 and MiG-23, in-service MiG-27, Jaguar, and Su-30MKI.

According to a Ministry of Defence statement, the officer is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned in the fighter stream of the IAF in June 1988.

With over 3,200 hours of accident-free and incident-free flying, his military career spans over three decades, the statement said.

“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 said.

As a Fighter Strike Leader, an Instrument Rating Instructor, and Examiner (IRIE), he has undergone the Advanced Command and 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, and held 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 (SASO) 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 took over the responsibility from Air Marshal Surat Singh, who superannuated on Saturday (January 31, 2026), after 39 years of distinguished and devoted service to the nation.

Air Marshal Walia’s successor as the SASO at the Shillong-headquartered EAC, Air Marshal Devendra P. Hirani, also took charge the same day.

The two appointments are significant leadership transition in one of the IAF’s most strategically critical commands.

Commissioned into the IAF in December 1990, Air Marshal Hirani has over three decades of distinguished service, marked by extensive operational, command, and staff experience across diverse terrains and strategic domains.

A Qualified Flying Instructor, the Air Marshal has logged nearly 5,000 hours of flying experience on a wide range of helicopters and trainer aircraft.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), he has undergone advanced professional military education at the Defence Services Staff College, College of Defence Management, and the National Defence College, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Over the course of his career, Air Marshal Hirani has commanded a training unit and key frontline air bases in the Northern Sector, apart from holding critical staff appointments at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS), Air Headquarters, various Command Headquarters, and HQ AOC (Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh).

He has also served as a DASI Inspector, contributing to operational safety and standardisation, another MoD statement said

His international exposure includes a deployment to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission, underscoring his experience in multinational military operations.

Prior to his current appointment, Air Marshal Hirani served as the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Personnel, Airmen and Civilians), where he played a key role in shaping personnel policies and human resource management within the Indian Air Force.

In recognition of his exemplary service, Air Marshal Devendra P Hirani was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) in 2015 and the Yudh Seva Medal (YSM) in 2022.