Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will review the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) of the 217th Course at the Air Force Academy (AFA) in Dundigal, Hyderabad, on June 13, marking a significant milestone in the training and commissioning of future military officers. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that the event will celebrate the successful completion of pre-commissioning training by flight cadets across various branches of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and allied services.
The parade, known for its military precision and ceremonial grandeur, will see Rajnath Singh serve as the Reviewing Officer. During the ceremony, he will confer the President’s Commission upon the graduating trainees, formally inducting them into service. The event will also include the presentation of Wings and Brevets to flight cadets of the Indian Air Force, as well as officers and trainees from the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam who have completed their respective training programmes.
A key highlight of this year’s ceremony will be the commissioning of the first batch of women cadets from the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune. The cadets, who passed out from the NDA on May 30, 2025, subsequently underwent branch-specific training at the Air Force Academy. Their commissioning marks a historic step in the ongoing expansion of opportunities for women within India’s armed forces and reflects the military’s evolving approach to gender inclusion.
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The Defence Minister will also present the prestigious President’s Plaque to the top-performing flight cadets in the overall order of merit across the Flying, Navigation and Ground Duty branches. These awards recognise exceptional performance, leadership qualities and professional excellence demonstrated during training. The honours are among the most coveted distinctions awarded to graduating cadets at the academy.
The ceremony will feature a series of aerial and ground displays showcasing the capabilities and traditions of the Indian Air Force. The Akash Ganga team and the Air Warrior Drill Team (AWDT) will open the event with precision demonstrations, while fly-pasts led by Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh will add to the spectacle. Trainer aircraft including the Pilatus PC-7 MkII, Hawk, Kiran and Chetak are expected to participate in the formations.
Among the major attractions of the graduation parade will be aerial performances by the SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft, the Sarang helicopter display team and the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT). The Combined Graduation Parade remains one of the Indian Air Force’s most significant ceremonial events, symbolising the transition of cadets into commissioned officers and highlighting the professionalism, discipline and operational readiness of India’s military aviation community.
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