IAF launches computerised pilot selection system

 

The CPSS was jointly developed by the Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR) and the Air Defence Establishment (ADE) of the DRDO in decade-long research and was originally conceived by the then Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam with a view to adopt a better tool for conducting pilot aptitude test in consonance with the modern aircraft of the IAF.

 

The new selection system places special emphasis on psychomotor skills and cognitive abilities of the candidates while screening them for selection into the flying branch of the IAF. The computerized pilot selection system ensures objectivity in results and uniformity in the degree of difficulty faced by candidates, said Wing Commander S.S. Birdi, PRO (Air Force) in an official press release.

 

This was the first official visit of Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, after takng over as Chief of the Air Staff. Mr Raha believes that CPSS is a giant leap forward in meeting the long standing demand of IAF for inducting more aptitude based candidates into the flying stream of the IAF. “It’s something operationally relevant for testing the young people for flying”, he said.  

 

More importantly, the IAF is in process of inducting fifth generation fighter aircrafts into its fleet which will demand greater physical and mental workload from the pilots as well as from the system operators. Hence, only better screened candidates will be able to match up to the expectations, Mr Raha asserted.  

 

Answering a specific query on how justifiable is it to use state-of-art facility for screening and outdated machinery for actual training, the Air Chief acknowledged the fact that there was delay in the induction of Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) and hoped to get the IJT operational before the Kirans are phased-out.