Air Marshal Jasbir Walia PVSM, VM, VSM, ADC was the commander-in-chief of

Strategic Forces Command The Strategic Forces Command (SFC), sometimes called Strategic Nuclear Command, forms part of India's Nuclear Command Authority (NCA). It is responsible for the management and administration of the country's tactical and strategic nuclear weap ...

of the Indian Armed Forces from 1 August 2016 to 31 March 2019. Commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 1979, Walia has held several important appointments as a commanding officer, at Air Headquarters, at the headquarters of various commands of the Indian Air Force (IAF), as an attaché, and has also served as an instructor and as a deputy commandant of various training academies.

Personal life and education

Walia graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla. He attended a staff course at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington Cantonment, and also attended the Air War Course at the Air War College, Montgomery, Alabama, USA. He is married to Harbinder Walia; the couple has a son and a daughter.

Military career

Walia was commissioned in the flying branch (fighter stream) of the Indian Air Force on 15 June 1979. He flew various types of aircraft from the inventory of the Indian Air Force including the MiG-21,

SEPECAT Jaguar The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet attack aircraft originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Air Force in the close air support and nuclear strike role. It is still in service with the Indian Air Force. Originall ...

, and training aircraft. As well as being a qualified flying instructor, he is also a pilot attack instructor and a fighter combat leader. His operational assignments have included commanding officer of Jaguar squadron, held for a maritime strike role, and he has also served as station commander. His appointments at Air Headquarters included director of tactical operations. He held various apex positions at Indian Air Force training academies including as a member of the directing staff, and as deputy commandant at

Tactics and Air Combat Defence Establishment Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment or TACDE is an Indian Air Force unit for training aerial combat to its top one percent fighter pilots. TACDE is based in Gwalior. It was conferred Presidential standard in 2009. The institution evolve ...

, as deputy commandant of the

College of Air Warfare College of Air Warfare (CAW) is a defence service training institution of the Indian Air Force. The college conducts courses and programmes in the art of Joint Warfare, with special emphasis on employment of Air Power. The functional and the ad ...

(CAW),

Secunderabad Secunderabad, also spelled as Sikandarabad (, ), is a twin cities, twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Telangana. It ...

. He also served as the air attaché at the Indian Embassy located in Washington, D.C., and as the air officer commanding (AOC) of the Jammu and Kashmir Area. Walia served as the senior air staff officer at the headquarters of the Eastern Air Command before assuming the office of AOC-in-C of the Southern Air Command, the 24th officer to hold the post. He held the post of AOC-in-C Souther Air Command from 1 June 2015 to 31 July 2016, succeeded by Air Marshal

Sunderraman Neelakantan Air Marshal Sunderraman Neelakantan PVSM, YSM, VM, is a retired officer and was Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force from 1 August 2016 to 1 March 2017. He was succeeded by Air Marshal Rake ...

Awards and medals

Walia was conferred the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in January 2017, Vayu Sena Medal in 2000 and the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2005 by the President of India.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walia, Jasbir Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Indian Air Force air marshals Recipients of the Vayu Sena Medal Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal Ahluwalia Recipients of the Vishisht Seva Medal Indian air attachés Air War College alumni College of Air Warfare faculty