Two Pinoy officer cadets finish training at Indian Military Academy

Two Filipino officer cadets have successfully completed their pre-commissioning training at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun in the State of Uttarakhand, the defense attaché of the Philippines in India said. 

According to Defense Attaché Colonel Rolando Gomez, the two officer cadets are the second generation Philippine Army officers trained by the prestigious military academy in India. 

He said it was in 1974 when the first two officer cadets completed the same training. However, the program did not push through. 

Gomez said IMA Commandant Lieutenant General Nagendra Singh had conducted the ceremonial donning of rank insignia to 2nd Lieutenants Anthony Ehapon and Len John Kent Valbarez. 

''This ceremony symbolizes the advancement and readiness of the two officers to take on a new leadership role in their chosen service,'' Gomez said in a press release. 

Gomez stressed that the graduation of the two officers was not just a personal achievement but a tangible step towards a more robust, skilled, and internationally connected Philippine Army that is supported by a deepening strategic partnership with India.

A Reuters report earlier said India is the world's biggest arms importer as it also steps up domestic production and boosts defense exports to counter China's military strength and influence in its neighborhood after their troops clashed on the Himalayan border in 2020.

India is also expected to sell short-range missiles to the Philippines this year in a deal worth more than $200 million, the report said. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KG, GMA Integrated News