Aircraft and Armament Testing Unit Date Raised : 1957-06-01 Disbanded : 1969-12-31 Location : Kanpur Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) started its journey as Armament Testing Unit (ATU) in Kanpur in 1948. In 1957, it was formally raised as Aircraft and Armament Testing Unit (A&ATU) at Kanpur. On 23 August 1972, it was renamed as ASTE and moved to Bangalore in 1973 into the make shift hangars of HAL. As its name implies, ASTE evaluates aircraft and systems for induction into user organisations. Most new aircraft types and major airborne systems must have ASTE's stamp of approval to be considered fit for service in India. While many countries have testing facilities of one kind or the other, training of flight test personnel is not often imparted in them. ASTE's Air Force Test Pilots School (AFTPS) is only the fifth such institution in the world. This is not surprising for the world's fourth largest air force. The combination of flight testing and training makes ASTE Indian Air Force's mini-Edward's Air Force Base (USA) or Boscombe Down (UK) Read Detailed History
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Commanding Officers | |||||
01 Jun 57 - 01 Nov 59Squadron LeaderBhopindra Singh3025 GD(P)COKanpur | 01 Nov 59 - 01 Jun 61Squadron LeaderSuranjan Das3175 GD(P)COKanpur | 01 Jun 61 - 01 Jan 64Wing CommanderJohn Jasper Bouche2938 GD(P)COKanpur | 01 Jan 64 - 01 Jun 68Wing CommanderBikash Kumar Ghosh3132 GD(P)COKanpur | 01 Jun 68 - 01 Dec 69Wing CommanderKaran Yadav4200 GD(P)COKanpur | |