In a first, IAF instructors to train UK RAF pilots

NEW DELHI: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will deploy Qualified Flying Instructors (QFIs) to train the UK's Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots, the British high commission said on Thursday.The training, to be conducted by three IAF instructors, will take place at RAF Valley in the UK, the primary training base for British fighter pilots. The initial deployment of the QFIs will be for a period of two years, it added. The decision was taken following the annual India-UK Air Staff Talks, where both sides are typically represented by officers of two-star rank or higher to discuss avenues of military cooperation. The current, 19th round of talks, was held in New Delhi according to the press release.The previous round of the staff talks was held in London in 2025.“The signing of this Letter of Agreement is a significant step in strengthening the longstanding relationship between the Royal Air Force and the Indian Air Force. Bringing Indian QFIs into UK Military Flying Training Systems deepens our cooperation, enhances interoperability, and reinforces our shared commitment to excellence in aircrew training. Together, we are investing in the foundation of a long-term collaboration and shaping a partnership that is both enduring and strategic in its outlook,” the statement quoted Air Vice Marshal Ian Townsend, Assistant Chief of the RAF Air Staff, as saying.Commodore Chris Saunders of the Royal Navy, the high commission’s defence advisor, also hailed the agreement. “The forthcoming deployment of Indian QFIs to the UK represents another significant milestone in our expanding defence relationship, positively building on the mandate of UK-India Vision 2035. It reinforces the mutual trust and shared experience that underpins our training cooperation and exemplifies the increasingly sophisticated levels of interoperability we are building together across our services,” he said.The development follows the first-ever deployment, in January, of an IAF officer as an instructor at RAF College Cranwell — the academy that trains the next generation of RAF officers. With this deployment, all three British military academies hosted Indian officers as instructors from their respective services for the first time.Earlier, the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth has had an Indian Navy officer serving as an instructor since May 2024. This was followed by the deployment of an Indian Army officer to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an instructor in May 2025.Under the current agreement, IAF instructors will train British pilots on the BAE Hawk T2 and Texan T1 aircraft.During their tenure, the QFIs will remain under IAF command while carrying out instructional duties under RAF leadership.