Beyond The NDA: Where Cadets Become Officers

The National Defence Academy provides the common foundation. But the journey from cadet to commissioned officer takes a decisive turn when trainees move to their respective service academies.

In this special edition of Defence Mantra: Classroom Edition, we travel to the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Indian Naval Academy (INA) to understand what happens after the NDA — and how the three services transform a common military foundation into highly specialised professional training.

The three academies have very different histories. IMA, established in 1932, is the oldest and traces its origins to the effort to train Indian officers on Indian soil. INA’s journey began with naval training in India in 1969 before eventually moving to its present Ezhimala campus in Kerala. AFA, established in 1971, was created as a purpose-built institution for training Air Force officers across flying, technical and ground-duty branches.

At IMA, Gentlemen Cadets undergo intensive physical training, drill, weapons training and leadership exercises, alongside military academics such as tactics, strategy and map reading. Training progressively moves from fundamentals to advanced field exercises and command responsibility.

At AFA, the common military training is followed by specialised streams. Flying trainees eventually branch into fighter, transport or helicopter streams, while others train for technical and non-technical ground-duty roles.

At INA, the environment itself becomes part of the classroom. Cadets learn seamanship, navigation, naval warfare and weapons systems through classroom instruction, simulators and hands-on training at sea.

The episode also examines how military training is adapting to the changing character of warfare — including technology, drones, jointness and multidomain operations. The aim is increasingly to produce officers who combine traditional military skills with technological fluency.

From the common foundation of the NDA to the specialised demands of land, air and sea — this is the road beyond the NDA.