IAF technique of training

Your AFS is unique because it resembles an industrial training organisation. Please comment

This Station is unique as it not only provides technical training akin to an industrial training organisation but goes beyond it. Here, not only the basics of technical education are imparted but adequate stress is laid an overall personality development by ensuring participation in sports, co-curricular activities such as news reading, public speaking as well as cultural activities. Thus the output is not only a technically qualified individual but a technical person qualified to stand his ground in any congregation.

How do you groom a raw lad from an urban or rural background into a savvy airman at your technical training establishment?
The selection process and initial recruitment in the IAF is dictated by the organisational requirements depending upon the separation and wastage levels worked out at Air HQ. The selection is done in technical and non technical categories. All the trainees irrespective of the category are put through a common training programme where they are provided intensive training on drill, general service knowledge, basic computer knowledge and inculcation of Service ethos. This phase of training is intentionally made rugged so as to get all recruits from varying backgrounds on a common platform and facilitate easy assimilation of a military way of life. These trainees are now routed to specific training establishments depending upon the trades allocated and are put through a modular pattern of training which provides a combination of class room education combined with hands on experience at the field unit. The syllabus is so designed that a certain portion of it is covered at AFSJ followed by a posting to an operational unit for where the individual works on the system. This is followed by two such cycles over a timeline of 13 years.

How is it decided which technical discipline an airman trainee needs to specialise in for the rest of his IAF career?  Is it influenced by organisational requirements or individual interests?
After recruitment and during the basic phase of training, the trainees are subjected to a written trade aptitude test in mechanical, electronic and administrative knowledge. The performance is then evaluated through a software program which considers the aptitude, the organisational requirement in terms of vacancies and the individual aspirations to allocate the trade.

Considering there is no substitute for in-situ learning, given the variety of aircraft and equipment in the IAF inventory how do you manage to provide your trainees here a strong foundation in such diverse technologies?
On completion of the initial module of training at this station, the trainees are routed to different technical type training establishments each dealing with a specific system/ aircraft which provides the training on the particular system/aircraft so as to allow the airman to work at the operator  level. This is superimposed on the generic training provided at AFSJ to make understanding and assimilation easy. This is followed by another specialised module at the same technical type training establishment for him to work at intermediate level.

Does your training syllabus need to undergo changes with the induction of new aircraft and other air defence, communication systems into the IAF inventory ?
The training syllabus is modified at regular intervals depending upon the inductions planned and is generally dictated by the needs of the field units. In fact regular feedback is obtained from the field units and the syllabi are fine tuned accordingly.

The IAF is a technology intensive combat organisation and the 410 Air Force Station Jalahalli(AFSJ) is one of  its backbones. The AF Station grooms 4,500 raw recruits into tech-savy airmen to operate /maintain weapon platforms and combat support systems.
This enables the IAF to maintain its combative edge. Interestingly the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Bangalore is considering modelling its proposed aircraft technicians' training institute on the lines of the 61 year old IAF training establishment. Air Cmde A B Maini Air Officer Commanding 410 AFSJ speaks to Deccan Herald.