Kashmir Impulse Desk

Bengaluru, May 24

Seventeen officers, including 11 Test Pilots and six Flight Test Engineers, graduated from the Air Force Test Pilots School after successfully completing the 48th Flight Test Course in Bengaluru.

An official statement said the 48-week multidisciplinary training programme concluded with the graduation of 17 officers – 14 from the Indian Air Force, one from the Indian Army and two from the Indian Navy.

The officers will now join the Aviation Wing of the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment, one of the Indian Air Force’s premier units engaged in testing aircraft and airborne systems.

Air Chief Marshal A P Singh attended the graduation ceremony as chief guest and presented certificates to the graduating officers. A distinguished alumnus of the 17th Flight Test Course, he also presented trophies to officers for outstanding performance during the training.

According to the statement, Sqn Ldr K K Singh received the Suranjan Das Trophy for best all-round student Test Pilot, while Sqn Ldr Aditya Jamdagni was awarded the Chief of the Air Staff Trophy for best student Test Pilot in flight evaluation.

Wg Cdr Abhinav Kumar received the Maharaja Hanumanth Singh Sword for best all-round student Flight Test Engineer.

Wg Cdr Pranav Sharma was awarded the Dunlop Trophy for best student Flight Test Engineer in flight evaluation, while Sqn Ldr Paras Sharma received the Kapil Bhargava Trophy for best student in ground subjects.

Addressing the graduating officers, Air Chief Marshal Singh urged them to continue working with focus and commitment, highlighting the key role they will play in capability building and the modernisation of the armed forces.

Emphasising Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence as a strategic necessity, he said test crews have a crucial responsibility in strengthening indigenous aerospace capability and advancing the country’s defence indigenisation efforts.

He also stressed the need to reduce design-to-delivery timelines while maintaining the highest standards of safety and quality, and called upon the officers to uphold professionalism, honesty, integrity, precision and excellence in service.