In a first, Indian Air Force instructors will train British fighter pilots: UK statement – Firstpost

India and the United Kingdom have agreed to strengthen military training cooperation following the conclusion of the 19th UK-India Air Staff Talks held in New Delhi on Thursday.

“Under the latest agreement, the Indian Air Force will deploy three Qualified Flying Instructors (QFI) to Royal Air Force (RAF) Valley in the UK – the training base for British fast jet pilots. This marks the first time that Indian QFIs will impart fast jet training to British pilots at RAF Valley,” said UK government in a statement, adding the deployment will be initially for a period of two years.

The development follows the first-ever deployment in January 2026 of an Indian Air Force officer as an instructor at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, which trains the next generation of RAF officers.

With this, all three British military academies now host Indian officers as instructors from the respective services.

The Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth has an Indian Navy officer as an instructor since May 2024, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst has an Indian Army officer since May 2025, and the RAF College Cranwell now has an Indian Air Force officer.

The enhanced training cooperation comes in the wake of deepening India-UK military engagements in recent years.

In 2025, the two countries conducted the largest-ever maritime exercise involving their Carrier Strike Groups, followed by the joint army exercise Ajeya Warrior in Rajasthan.

In 2023, the Indian Air Force participated in the UK’s multilateral air exercise Cobra Warrior for the first time, while in 2024, the Royal Air Force joined IAF’s inaugural multilateral air combat exercise Tarang Shakti.

The Air Staff Talks are part of annual high-level military consultations, typically attended by two-star officers or above, aimed at reviewing and expanding areas of collaboration. The previous edition of the talks was held in London in 2025.

With inputs from agencies