Combined Graduation Parade Held at Air Force Academy (with slideshow)

Secunderabad: The Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) was held at the Air Force Academy (AFA), Dundigal, marking the successful completion of training for 235 flight cadets in the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), conferred the President’s Commission to the graduating cadets, which included 22 women officers. The event was attended by dignitaries from the IAF and other services, as well as family members of the graduates.

Nine officers from the Indian Navy, nine from the Indian Coast Guard, and one from a friendly foreign country were also awarded ‘Wings’ upon completing their flying training. Additionally, 25 cadets from the National Defence Academy were commissioned into the Ground Duty branches of the IAF.

The CAS was welcomed by Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor and Air Marshal S Shrinivas. The ceremony began with a General Salute to the Reviewing Officer, followed by a march past and fly-pasts by Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II, Hawk, Kiran, and Chetak helicopters.

The highlight was the ‘Commissioning Ceremony,’ where cadets received their ‘Rank and Wings’ from the Reviewing Officer and took an oath to protect the nation’s security and honor. The CAS presented awards to top-performing cadets. Flying Officer Happy Singh received the President’s Plaque and the Chief of the Air Staff Sword of Honour for excellence in the pilots’ course, while Flying Officer Taufeeq Raza received the President’s Plaque for the ground duty officers course.

In his address, the CAS praised the new officers for their exemplary parade performance and urged them to embrace ‘Transformation Through Upskilling’ to become ‘multi-domain leaders.’ He stressed the importance of innovation, technology, and adaptability in modern warfare, which is increasingly driven by complex data networks and cyber technologies.

The CAS emphasized the IAF’s core values of Mission, Integrity, and Excellence. He highlighted the significance of mission accomplishment, ethical conduct, and striving for excellence. He encouraged the new officers to earn the respect of their subordinates through competence, courage, and empathy, reinforcing the IAF’s vision of ‘People First, Mission Always.’

The ceremony concluded with the new officers marching out to ‘Anandaloke’ by Rabindranath Tagore, receiving their first salute from their juniors. The event ended with an aerobatic display by SU-30 MKI, the Sarang Helicopter Display Team, and the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT), providing a spectacular finale to the parade.