| As the Indian Air Force (IAF) celebrates its 79th anniversary, highlighting its role in several military successes of the country, the full glory of the force could not have been thought about without the able functioning of its Bangalore-based Training Command. | |
 While the IAF has been screaming “Touch the Sky with Glory,” the foundation for it is monitored by the Training Command headquarters, which takes care of training at the applied stage, basic training, technical and non-technical training, airmen training, beside training the pilots.Air Marshal Diraj Kukreja, Air Officer Commanding-in- Chief of Training Command said: “Post 1950s’, given that Bangalore was already important for aviation, both civilian and military, it was though fit that most of our (IAF) ground work happens from here. So we provide the basic foundation on which the IAf builds its strategic and operational capabilities.” Among the many facilities, the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), under the Training Command is a unique Organisation symbolising the synergy of technical knowledge and training in producing eminent Test Pilots and Engineers for the country’s Armed Forces. Small beginning ASTE was formed as a small Aircraft Testing Unit in 1948 at Kanpur and only in 1973 it moved to Bangalore after getting reorganised as ASTE. Now this has grown into a premier aircraft testing and certifying authority for the entire South Asian region. It also assist premier defence organisations like DRDO, CISR, ISRO, HAL on evaluating the aircrafts through various and rigorous field trials. Commandant of the ASTE, Air Commodore B R Krishna said that various aircrafts like Gnat, Vampiure, Mystere, Hunter,Krishak, Saunders Roe P-53C Scout Helicopter, HJT 16,Kiran,Indian variants of Aloutte Helicopter, Chetak, Cheetah,HS748 (AVRO),HF 24 Marut, AN 32, Jaguar and Mirage have been tried and tested here. Kukreja said that the Command over all, produces 100 engineers, 300 pilots, 100 ground duty officers and about 8,000 airmen annually. “It is not the typical ‘garbage in and garbage out’ philosophy here. We believe that we get quality in and high quality out,” he said. Air Force Station Apart from the ASTE, the command also has The Yelahanka Air Force Station, whose main role is to train pilots to fly transport planes. This station also conducts type-conversion of navigators on the Antonov An-32. Exhibition formation fly-pasts during passing-out parades at premier training institutions such as the Air Force Academy and the Air Force Technical College are carried out routinely. Logistics support In addition, the station undertakes logistics support tasks allotted by Air Headquarters and Training Command Headquarters. Added to this is Air Force Station Jalahalli, which holds various training establishments for Airmen, including the electronics, electrical, communication and logistical training Institutes. AFS Jalahalli has a collection of seven aircraft today, which includes one HPT-32, two HT-2s, two Sukhoi-7s and two Iskras which arrived in 2005. | |
Source : Deccan Herald
