- Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari emphasized the importance of incorporating new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics into flight training and testing methodologies.
- The Air Chief Marshal was speaking at the start of a two-day seminar titled ‘Lessons from the Past: Opportunities for the Future.
Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff, called on the Aircraft and System Testing Establishment (ASTE) to expand its outreach to capitalize on the unprecedented growth in the Indian aerospace ecosystem. The Indian Air Force chief also emphasized the importance of incorporating new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics into flight training and testing methodologies.
“ASTE has served as a vital link across the entire spectrum of design, development, testing, evaluation, operationalization, and training with regards to war-waging equipment and personnel. The time is right now to increase your outreach to seamlessly integrate with the industry, certified (flight testing) community, and end users to make it an all-stakeholders approach,” he said.
The Air Chief Marshal was speaking at the start of a two-day seminar titled ‘Lessons from the Past: Opportunities for the Future,’ which was to commemorate ASTE’s golden jubilee.
The Air Chief Marshal was speaking at the start of a two-day seminar titled ‘Lessons from the Past: Opportunities for the Future,’ which was organized to commemorate ASTE’s golden jubilee.
He stated that the ASTE is unique in that it collaborates with the Indian defense industry and participates in design and development activities by supporting the research and development efforts of defense labs.
The IAF chief urged ASTE and the Air Force Test Pilot School (AFTPS) to seize the opportunity presented by the country’s expanding aerospace industry.
“The Indian aerospace ecosystem is witnessing unprecedented growth towards becoming self-reliant. The impetus to domestic manufacturing and enhancing public-private partnerships has presented a multitude of opportunities for our flight testing community to engage proactively and contribute effectively to meet the national objectives,” the IAF chief said.
Stating that flight testing is a unique and specialized field, the Air Chief Marshal said it was important to share best practices and ethics.
“Institutions across the globe invest heavily in training human resources, building support infrastructure, and creating safe and conducive ecosystems for efficient flight test activity. Therefore, transactional relationships and peer interactions assume significant importance in this regard,” the IAF chief further said.
He called upon the participants to extract the best possible knowledge during the two-day seminar.
“We must learn the right lessons from the past, understand contemporary challenges, and define our testing philosophy and methodology to maximize safety,” he noted.
“Optimise effort and minimize program costs and timelines. Use of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence, simulators, and big data analytics to reduce our flying effort will go a long way in improving our training and testing methodology,” the Air Chief Marshal opined.
Chaudhari praised ASTE, calling it a “saga of professional excellence” with a single goal of self-reliance in the field of flight testing.
The Air Chief Marshal stated that ASTE has been at the forefront of the Indian Air Force’s modernization and operationalization over the years.
He went on to say that the ASTE-sponsored pilot training school was critical in identifying and training the right human capital for complex tasks in the demanding field of flight testing.
“Air Force Pilot Training School has emerged as a center of excellence for imparting high-quality training and producing a world-class test group, capable of facing all challenges associated with flight testing,” he pointed out.