The Air Force Academy (AFA) is the premier training establishment of the Indian Air Force, responsible for the basic and advanced flying as well as ground training of officer cadets. Located at Dundigal, near Hyderabad in Telangana, the academy commissions officers into the flying, technical and ground duty branches of the Indian Air Force.
| Type | Military training academy |
|---|---|
| Parent service | Indian Air Force |
| Location | Dundigal, Hyderabad, Telangana, India |
| Motto | Yudhaaya Krit Vidhya (Trained for Battle) |
| Role | Pre-commission training of IAF officer cadets |
| Branches trained | Flying, Technical, Ground Duty |
The Air Force Academy conducts pre-commission training for cadets selected through various entry schemes, including the National Defence Academy, the Combined Defence Services Examination, the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) and the National Cadet Corps special entry. On successful completion of training, cadets are commissioned as Flying Officers in the Indian Air Force during the Combined Graduation Parade, conventionally held twice a year.
Flying training for officers of the Indian Air Force was earlier conducted at multiple locations, including the Flying Training Establishment at Jodhpur and later at Begumpet, Hyderabad. With the need for a consolidated training institution, a new academy was established at Dundigal on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The Air Force Academy at Dundigal was raised in the late 1960s and has since served as the central institution for officer training in the IAF.
The Academy imparts training in three principal streams:
Cadets undergo a combination of academic instruction, military training, physical conditioning, drill and leadership development. Flying cadets progress through stages on trainer aircraft such as the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II for Stage I, with subsequent stages conducted on platforms including the HAL Kiran and the BAE Hawk at other Air Force training establishments.
The Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) marks the formal commissioning of cadets into the Indian Air Force. The parade, held at Dundigal, is typically reviewed by the Chief of the Air Staff or another senior officer, and includes the pipping ceremony, the award of wings to flying branch officers, and a flypast.
The Academy is spread over a large campus at Dundigal and houses cadet messes, training squadrons, academic blocks, an airfield, hangars, sports facilities and residential quarters for staff. The institution is commanded by an Air Officer of the rank of Air Marshal designated as the Commandant.
As the sole pre-commission training academy of the Indian Air Force, the AFA plays a central role in shaping officers who go on to serve in operational squadrons, technical units and command appointments. It functions in coordination with allied training institutions such as the National Defence Academy at Khadakwasla and the Air Force Technical College at Bangalore.