Indian Air Force’s Weapon Systems School, Hyderabad: The Indian Air Force (IAF) marked a significant milestone on July 1, 2024, with the inauguration of the Weapon Systems School (WSS) at Air Force Station Begumpet, Hyderabad. Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari led the ceremony.
The WSS will provide state-of-the-art training for officers of the IAF’s newly established Weapon System (WS) Branch. Announced in October 2022, the WS Branch aims to consolidate operators of various weapon systems under a single command, enhancing the IAF’s operational efficiency and warfighting capabilities.
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The new school will equip future WS Branch officers with the necessary skills and knowledge across four streams:
Flying Stream: Operating weapon systems on airborne platforms like Sukhoi-30 MKI and C-130J aircraft.
Remote Stream: Piloting and operating Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA).
Mission Command and Operations Stream: Overseeing and operating Surface-to-Air and Surface-to-Surface weapon systems.
Intelligence Stream: Handling space-based intelligence and imagery.
Brahmos Missile on Sukhoi Fighter.
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Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari emphasized the importance of the WS Branch, stating it will bring operators of ground-based and specialist weapon systems under a unified structure, significantly bolstering the IAF’s combat effectiveness. He commended the founding members of the WSS and urged instructors to become pioneers in shaping this new branch.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by senior IAF officials, including Air Vice Marshal Premkumar Krishnaswamy, Commandant of the Weapon Systems School, and Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Training Command.
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