For the first time, the Indian Air Force is set to train pilots of the UK's Royal Air Force under a new initiative. The decision was taken at the 19th UK-India Air Staff Talks held on Thursday in New Delhi. "Under the latest agreement, the Indian Air Force will deploy three Qualified Flight Instructors (QFI) to Royal Air Force (RAF) Valley in the UK, the training base for British fast jet pilots," a British readout said. "This marks the first time that Indian QFIs will impart fast jet training to British pilots at RAF Valley. The deployment will be initially for a period of two years," it said.

The development closely follows the first-time deployment in January this year of an Indian Air Force officer as an instructor to the Royal Air Force College Cranwell -the air academy that trains the next generation of RAF officers. The new initiative marked all three British military academies now hosting Indian officers as instructors from respective services, the readout noted.