244 flight cadets commissioned at Air Force Academy graduation parade in Hyderabad

New Delhi, December 13. The Indian Air Force (IAF) on December 13 marked the commissioning of a new batch of officers as the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) was held at the Air Force Academy (AFA) in Dundigal, Hyderabad, culminating the pre-commissioning training of flight cadets from the flying and ground duty branches.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan reviewed the parade and conferred the President’s Commission on the graduating cadets of the IAF’s 216 Course. A total of 244 flight cadets – including 215 men and 29 women – were commissioned as Flying Officers during the ceremony.

General Chauhan was received by Air Marshal Tejinder Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Training Command, and Air Marshal PK Vohra, Commandant of the Air Force Academy. The ceremony began with a general salute and a ceremonial march past by the cadets.

In addition to the IAF officers, six officers from the Indian Navy, eight from the Indian Coast Guard and two trainees from Vietnam were awarded flying ‘wings’ on successful completion of their flying training. Five officers also received ‘brevets’ on completing their navigation training. Family members of the graduating officers were present to witness the milestone event.

The highlight of the parade was the commissioning ceremony, during which the newly graduated cadets took an oath to uphold the sovereignty and honour of the nation. The parade featured a series of aerial displays, including flypasts by Pilatus PC-7, Hawk, Kiran and Chetak aircraft, alongside a free-fall demonstration by the Akash Ganga skydiving team and precision drills by the Air Warrior Drill Team, drawing loud applause from the audience.

For outstanding performance during training, Flying Officer Tanishq Aggarwal from the flying branch was awarded the President’s Plaque and the Nawanagar Sword of Honour for securing first position in the overall order of merit in the pilot course. Flying Officer Saksham Dobriyal received the President’s Plaque for topping the navigation stream, while Flying Officer Nitesh Kumar was conferred the President’s Plaque for standing first in the ground duty branches.

Addressing the parade, the Chief of Defence Staff congratulated the newly commissioned officers on joining the profession of arms and praised their discipline, drill and bearing. He advised them to remain grounded, avoid arrogance, and stay firm in matters of principle as they embark on their careers.

General Chauhan also underlined the importance of creating asymmetry in modern warfare, particularly in emerging domains, and highlighted technology as a decisive factor in future conflicts. He called for greater focus on Artificial Intelligence-driven data fusion, man-unmanned teaming, autonomous systems and cognitive domain operations.

Referring to Operation Sindoor, he described it as a testament to the IAF’s professionalism and said it must continue to be guided by the principles of ‘JAI’ – Jointness, Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) and Innovation – which he said would shape the future of India’s combat power. He concluded by urging the officers to serve with courage and lead with confidence.

The parade concluded on an emotive note as the newly commissioned officers slow-marched to martial tunes, while Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh flew a three-aircraft Kiran formation overhead, leading the traditional first salute by their immediate juniors. The grand finale featured synchronised flying displays by the Sarang helicopter display team and the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team.