IAF Chief emphasises Air Force's commitment to self-reliance

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, on Friday, emphasised the Indian Air Force's (IAF) commitment to self-reliance and underscored the indigenisation efforts through development projects such as Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and LCA MK-II.
The IAF Chief made these remarks at the ceremonial valedictory function of the 47th Flight Test Course of the IAF Test Pilot School at Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) in Bengaluru.
In his address, Air Chief Marshal Singh highlighted the vital role of test flying as a specialist domain, requiring highest standards of professional competence, integrity and dedication to service.
He also called upon the graduating officers to uphold the core values of precision and excellence.
He awarded the graduating officers with certificates, along with trophies to the meritorious officers, recognising their exceptional performance during this demanding and specialised course.
The Flight Test Course is known for its rigorous training for a duration of 48 weeks and is a cornerstone towards building the nation's flight testing capability for cutting-edge aerial platforms and systems.
The Suranjan Das Trophy, for the best all-round student test pilot, was awarded to Squadron Leader S Bhardwaj, while the Chief of the Air Staff Trophy, for the best student test pilot in flight evaluation, was awarded to Squadron Leader Ajay Tripathi.
The Maharaja Hanumanth Singh Sword, for best all round student flight test engineer, was awarded to Squadron Leader Subhrajyoti Paul.
The Dunlop Trophy, for best student test engineer in flight evaluation, was awarded to Wing Commander Ashwini Singh and the Kapil Bhargava Trophy, for the best student in ground subjects, was awarded to Major Kaustubh Kunte.

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