Graduation parade at Air Force Academy, Dundigal to mark the successful completion of the pre-commissioning training of flight cadets of various branches of the Indian Air Force, in the outskirts of Hyderabad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: G. Ramakrishna
Modern warfare is a dynamic and ever-evolving landscape. In an era marked with increasing influence of complex radar networks and advanced cyber technology, Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, during his address at the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP), urged the graduating officers from the Air Force Academy Dundigal near Hyderabad to adapt, innovate, and leverage technology for proving decisive in winning wars.
“Tomorrow’s conflicts cannot be fought with yesterday’s mindset. The architects of new standards would always trump the followers of the old,“ said V.R. Chaudhari.
On June 15, 235 flight cadets, including 22 women officers of the 213 Officers Course, representing the flying and ground duty branches of the Indian Air Force (IAF), successfully completed their training at the academy. Additionally, nine officers from the Indian Navy, nine from the Indian Coast Guard, and one officer from the Vietnam People’s Air Force also completed their flying training. This is also the first CGP where 25 cadets who joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) four years ago for ground duty branches, were commissioned as officers. Five of these officers have been commissioned in the Administration branch, three in the Logistics branch and 17 in the Technical branch of the IAF.
As the reviewing officer of the parade, Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari conferred the ‘President’s Commission’ and awarded ‘Wings’ to the graduating trainees. Flying Officer Happy Singh from the flying branch received the President’s Plaque and Chief of Air Staff Sword of Honour for securing the first position in the overall order of merit in the pilots course. Flying Officer Taufeeq Raza was honoured with the President’s Plaque for standing first in the overall order of merit among the ground duty branches.
Air Marshal Seethepalli Shrinivas, the commandant of the academy, administered the oath to the newly commissioned officers. The parade was followed by a flypast and aerobatic display featuring Pilatus PC-7 training aircraft, an aerobatic show by the Sukhoi Su-30, the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team, and a synchronous display by the Sarang helicopter display team.
The parade culminated with the newly commissioned officers marching-out in two columns in slow march to the traditional notes of ‘Anandaloke’ by Rabindranath Tagore, while receiving their first salute from their immediate juniors.
