Three Indian Air Force Qualified Flying Instructors Join Royal Air Force Valley to Train UK Pilots

North Wales: Three Indian Air Force Qualified Flying Instructors (QFIs) have joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) Valley in Wales, UK, to train British fast-jet pilots in a historic bilateral defence milestone.

Announcing the historic achievement in a post on X, the media coordination centre of the Indian Air Force wrote, "A historic first in India-UK defence cooperation. Three Indian Air Force Qualified Flying Instructors (QFIs) have joined RAF Valley, Wales, to instruct Royal Air Force pilots - marking the first deployment of Indian QFIs to the UK."

The IAF hailed the QFIs' deployment as a "landmark step in strengthening our shared commitment to professional excellence, interoperability and enduring India–UK ties."

Earlier in April, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh held talks with Jonathan Nicholas Powell, National Security Advisor of the UK, on regional security developments. Singh and Powell had reviewed the progress of existing India-UK defence cooperation frameworks.

Additionally, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also held talks with Powell on regional and global security issues, while the discussions between Powell and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval focused on the annual India-UK Strategic Dialogue.

Last year, then UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid an official visit to India in October on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to the joint statement following their meeting, the leaders agreed to expand bilateral exchanges between the armed forces of India and the UK through joint exercises, training and capacity building.

Prime Minister Modi welcomed the port call of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group and the Royal Navy’s exercise KONKAN with the Indian Navy. Both sides committed to robust maritime security collaboration in the Indo-Pacific, including establishment of the Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence (RMSCE) under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).

In the context of cooperation on training, the two Leaders welcomed progress on an arrangement that will see Indian Air Force Qualified Flying Instructors integrated into UK Royal Air Force training, alongside an agreement that will facilitate "our strong training and education relationship."

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