Combined Graduation Parade
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the Combined Graduation Parade of 217 Course (Spring Term) at Air Force Academy, Dundigal. A total of 231 Flight Cadets (194 men & 37 women), were commissioned as officers in the Indian Air Force (IAF) following their graduation from the Air Force Academy (AFA), Dundigal, Hyderabad on June 13, 2026.
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh reviewed the Combined Graduation Parade of 217 Course, and awarded the ‘President’s Commission’ to the graduating cadets, marking the culmination of the pre-commissioning training of the cadets for the Flying and Ground Duty branches of IAF.
Nine officers from the Indian Navy, 03 from the Indian Coast Guard and 02 from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam were awarded ‘Wings’ on the occasion. ‘Brevets’ were given to 03 officers upon the completion of their navigation training.
Additionally, five women officers from the first batch of women cadets trained at the National Defence Academy (NDA) were also commissioned as officers in the Indian Air Force.
The Defence Minister presented ‘President’s Plaque as well as the ‘Sword of Honour’ to Ashish Kumar Yadav, flying officer from flying branch, for standing first in the order of merit. He also presented the ‘President’s Plaque’ to Divyanshi Singh and Ekta Gupta for standing first in the overall order of merit in ground duty and navigation branches respectively.
Congratulating the graduating cadets, Raksha Mantri stated that they are joining a service which has consistently served as both a shield and a sword for the nation. “IAF altered the course of the 1947-48 war in Kashmir through the Srinagar airlift and scripted history in just 13 days with decisive air strikes during the 1971 war.
Their indomitable spirit and unmatched valour were demonstrated during 2025 Operation Sindoor when they destroyed terror hideouts with clarity and precision. The operation was successfully executed not only by our indigenous platforms, but also due to IAF’s trained, courageous, and disciplined officers. I am confident that it will continue to play a pivotal role in future operations as well,” he said.
Shri Rajnath Singh commended the IAF for playing a pivotal role in successfully executing numerous rescue missions within the country and abroad, reflecting Indian culture and ethos of aiding all of humanity, transcending nationality, language, or borders.
“It is often said that ‘the sky is the limit’. It certainly holds true for IAF, but you must move forward with the vision of ‘the sky is our home’. This very vision will help in making us Viksit Bharat by 2047,” he said while concluding his address.
The Reviewing Officer was presented with a General Salute by the parade followed by an impressive march past. The parade was interspersed with a well-coordinated and synchronised flypast led by Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh. The flypast showcased four types of trainer aircraft viz. Pilatus PC-7 Mk II, Hawk, Kiran, and Chetak aircraft.
The parade culminated with the newly commissioned officers marching out in two columns to the resonant notes of martial marching tunes, wherein the first salute was given to them by their immediate juniors.
