IAF to train UK Royal Air Force pilots: British Air Chief
Britain’s Air Chief Marshal Sir Harv Smyth on Monday hailed a new move that will facilitate the Indian Air Force (IAF) train pilots of the UK’s Royal Air Force as the two sides are looking at boosting overall defence ties in the face of emerging security challenges.
The Chief of the Air Staff, presently on a three-day visit to India, held wide-ranging talks with his Indian counterpart, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh.
Air Chief Marshal Smyth met his Indian counterpart to discuss evolving security threats and ways to further strengthen the partnership between the two air forces, according to a British readout. Smyth is in India to boost military ties in the face of “emerging security challenges,” it said.
In February this year, the UK and India signed an agreement under which the Indian Air Force will deploy three qualified flying instructors to Royal Air Force (RAF) Valley in the UK - the training base for British fast jet pilots.
The two air chiefs will also travel to Air Force Station in Gwalior to understand IAF’s operational procedures and best practices in countering new-age aerial threats.
“It is a privilege to visit India and further strengthen our defence partnership, hosted by my esteemed colleague and good friend, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh,” Smyth said.
“The planned arrival this September of Indian Air Force Qualified Flying Instructors at RAF Valley — joining the IAF instructor already contributing at RAF College Cranwell - illustrates the depth of trust, shared professionalism, and mutual commitment that underpin our relationship,” he said.
Smyth said these exchanges, together with expanding training and operational cooperation, demonstrated the enduring bonds between the Royal Air Force and the Indian Air Force.
“Our shared dedication to security, stability, and technological excellence. I look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to deepen the cooperation between our air forces in the years ahead,” he said.
Commodore Chris Saunders, a defence adviser at the British High Commission, said the visit by the UK Chief of the Air Staff emphasises the significance of the UK-India defence relationship.
“Embedding IAF instructors within our instructor cadre at RAF Valley and RAF College Cranwell, as well as those from other Services, alongside increasingly complex air exercising and multi-domain cooperation, represents a tangible and substantive strengthening of defence ties in all domains,” he said.
“As the fourth and most senior flag-rank visitor from the UK to India in 2026, this visit clearly signals the strategic importance both nations place on developing a strong defence partnership,” Saunders added.
Air Chief Marshal Smyth is also expected to hold discussions with other members of India’s civil and military leadership.
