Indian Air Force (IAF) officers in the newly-announced Weapon Systems Branch are likely to join field units across the country by 2025, government officials familiar with the matter said.
“The notification will be out soon, after which the tests and medicals would be held. The training for the first batch of officers is set to begin by January 2024 and get over by the end of the year in December 2024. They will join the dedicated field units by 2025,” a top government official told News18.
The officers to be employed in the branch are likely to be Short Service Commission officers who will join the service through the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT).
The official further said while the modalities related to the new branch are still being worked out, like other SSC officers in the force, they can opt for permanent commission for which the selection will be on merit.
A second official said while the officers will start serving in the new branch, it could take 15-17 years for an officer from the unit to start commanding a weapon system.
This, defence sources said, will also prevent any remote chance of an incident like the accidental firing of a BrahMos missile into Pakistan in March this year.
Three officers, including a Group Captain with the missile unit were terminated from service after a high-level inquiry found lapses by them in sticking to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
The new move was announced by Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari in his Air Force Day address on October 8 in Chandigarh.
Move Comes Amidst IAF Procurements
The Air Chief had said the IAF personnel in the new branch will man four specialised streams of surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) and weapon system operators in twin and multi-crew aircraft, adding that this is the first time since Independence that a new operational branch has been created for the IAF.
The decision will also create savings of over Rs 3,400 crore due to reduced expenditure on flying training—a notional cumulative figure.
The creation of a new branch will address several personnel issues in the force, including addressing the shortage of pilots in the IAF, by ensuring that active pilots remain in the flying branch and are not diverted to weapons systems for tenures of three to five years.
The move is also important in the backdrop of the IAF procuring a variety of Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) and Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) systems—including the Russian S-400 missile system as well as a range of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), counter-UAV systems and “weaponising” the existing fleet of UAVs.
The decision is also aimed at creating a separate pool of officers specialising in the advanced missile systems and UAVs in the IAF’s inventory.
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