IAF Instructors Begin Training RAF Pilots in Historic First
Three IAF qualified flying instructors have deployed to RAF Valley in Wales for two years to train British pilots on BAE Hawk T2 aircraft.
For the first time, Indian Air Force personnel are serving as instructors for Britain's Royal Air Force, with three qualified flying instructors (QFIs) taking up posts at RAF Valley in Wales.
The deployment, described by the IAF as a historic first in India-UK defence cooperation, places Indian officers in a training role that reverses the direction of a relationship dating back to the colonial era. The British established an auxiliary air force in India on October 8, 1932, which was designated the Royal Indian Air Force in 1945 in recognition of its service during World War II. When India became a republic in January 1950, the force dropped the 'Royal' prefix.
The three-member Indian team, led by a Squadron Leader-level officer, will initially serve in the UK for two years. The instructors will train young British pilots on the BAE Hawk T2 aircraft, the same platform the IAF uses for the final stage of training its combat fighter pilots before they move to operational aircraft.
In a post on X on Friday, the IAF said the deployment marked a landmark step towards strengthening professional excellence, interoperability and long-term India-UK ties.
The decision to send Indian instructors to Britain was taken in February this year after the two countries agreed to expand military training engagements. The arrangement reflects broader efforts by New Delhi and London to deepen their defence partnership.
In April, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh held talks with Jonathan Nicholas Powell, the UK's National Security Adviser, on regional security developments, with the two sides reviewing progress on existing India-UK defence cooperation frameworks.
Closer military cooperation also featured in discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer during Starmer's official visit to India in October last year. A joint statement issued after their meeting said the two countries had agreed to expand exchanges between their armed forces through joint exercises, training and capacity building.