IAF Concludes 47th Flight Test Course, Honours Excellence in Flight Testing

The Indian Air Force (IAF) concluded the prestigious 47th Flight Test Course at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), Bengaluru, with a ceremonial valedictory function known as the Suranjan Das Dinner. The event marks the culmination of a rigorous 48-week specialised training programme aimed at enhancing India's flight testing capabilities for advanced aerial platforms and systems.

Image Source: IAF on X

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, presided over the ceremony and presented course completion certificates and trophies to officers for outstanding performance. In his address, he emphasized the strategic importance of test flying as a specialised and high-integrity domain, critical to national defence preparedness and innovation.

Highlighting India’s pursuit of self-reliance, the Air Chief cited indigenous defence development programmes such as the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and LCA Mk-II, and urged graduating officers to uphold the IAF’s values of Precision and Excellence in contributing to a Sashakt (strong), Saksham (capable), and Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat.

Top honours were awarded to the following officers:

• Suranjan Das Trophy (Best All-Round Student Test Pilot): Sqn Ldr S. Bhardwaj

• Chief of the Air Staff Trophy (Best in Flight Evaluation - Test Pilot): Sqn Ldr Ajay Tripathi

• Maharaja Hanumanth Singh Sword (Best All-Round Flight Test Engineer): Sqn Ldr Subhrajyoti Paul

• Dunlop Trophy (Best in Flight Evaluation - Test Engineer): Wg Cdr Ashwini Singh

• Kapil Bhargava Trophy (Best in Ground Subjects): Maj Kaustubh Kunte

The Flight Test Course, conducted by the IAF Test Pilot School, is a benchmark in military aviation training and plays a crucial role in enabling advanced flight testing and evaluation for current and future combat and support aircraft.