New Delhi [India], February 12 (ANI): The United Kingdom and India have agreed to further enhance military training engagements following the conclusion of the 19th UK-India Air Staff Talks held Thursday in New Delhi, according to a press release from the British High Commission.
The development follows the first-time deployment in January of an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer as an instructor at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, the academy that trains the next generation of RAF officers. It marked the first time all three British military academies have hosted Indian officers as instructors from their respective services.
Air Vice Marshal Ian Townsend, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, said, “The signing of this Letter of Agreement is a significant step in strengthening the longstanding relationship between the Royal Air Force and the Indian Air Force. Bringing Indian QFIs into UK Military Flying Training Systems deepens our cooperation, enhances interoperability, and reinforces our shared commitment to excellence in aircrew training.”
He added, “Together, we are investing in the foundation of a long-term collaboration and shaping a partnership that is both enduring and strategic in its outlook.”
Commodore Chris Saunders, MBE, Royal Navy, Defense Adviser at the British High Commission, said, “The forthcoming deployment of Indian Qualified Flying Instructors to the UK represents another significant milestone in our expanding defense relationship, positively building on the mandate of UK-India Vision 2035.”
He added that the move reinforces mutual trust and shared experience underpinning training cooperation and reflects increasingly sophisticated levels of interoperability between the two services.
“From the presence of Indian training officers instructing in each of the UK’s three officer training academies to this next step of Indian instructors integrated into our professional flying training squadrons, we continue to build depth, understanding, and cooperation at every level of the UK-India defense relationship,” Saunders said.
The Air Staff Talks are part of annual engagements, typically represented on both sides by a two-star officer or higher, to discuss areas of military collaboration. The previous round of talks was held in London in 2025, the press release stated.
An agreement on military training cooperation was signed between the UK and India during Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Mumbai in October 2025.
Indian Air Force instructors will deploy to RAF Valley to instruct on the BAE Hawk T2 or Texan T1 aircraft. During their tenure, the Indian Qualified Flying Instructors will remain under IAF command while carrying out instructional duties under RAF leadership.
The Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth has hosted an Indian Navy officer as an instructor since May 2024. This was followed by the deployment of an Indian Army officer to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in May 2025 as an instructor.
In 2025, the UK and India conducted their largest-ever maritime exercise involving the Carrier Strike Groups of both navies. This was followed by the joint Army exercise Ajeya Warrior in Rajasthan.
In 2023, the Indian Air Force participated for the first time in the UK’s multilateral air exercise Cobra Warrior. In 2024, the Royal Air Force participated in the IAF’s first multilateral air combat exercise, Tarang Shakti. (ANI)
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