Squadron Leader Nitilaksh Prasad, keys in hand, had to steel himself. Years of study, training and work in the Royal Australian Air Force couldn’t prepare him for this challenge: Driving a rental car out of an airport terminal onto a busy inter-state highway — on the wrong side of the road.

“I think I left my handprints on the steering wheel,” he says, laughing.

He was headed to Purdue, invited to participate in a rare opportunity among RAAF officers to study structural fatigue in the School of Aero-nautics and Astronautics. Leaving finger-shaped impressions in his rental car was not officially part of his forthcoming research and education. 

Prasad would be only the 29th — and Flight Lieutenant Gaurav Gandhi the 30th — RAAF officer to embark on some version of that trip since 1984, when Alten “Skip” Grandt, the Raisbeck Distinguished Professor Emeritus, initiated the partnership. The RAAF wanted to bring structural integrity expertise into their ranks to address fatigue issues with the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark supersonic combat aircraft.

“I was privileged to be faculty advisor for the first 15 RAAF graduates. Two of those officers [Steve Drury (MSAAE ’89) and Terry Saunder MSAAE ’94)] achieved the rank of air commodore, making extremely substantial contributions to the RAAF,” Grandt says.

RAAF Squadron Leader Janet Thompson (Executive Officer, Office of the Air & Space Attach, Embassy of Australia), center, visited Purdue from the Australian embassy in fall 2024. She met with, from left, Professor Michael Sangid, Professor Emeritus Alten Grandt, Flight Lieutenant James Carr (31st participant in the program), and Flight Lieutenant Gaurav Gandhi.

In 2010, the F-111 was retired from service. Grandt received a letter of appreciation from Air Commodore D.E. Tindal, thanking him for the “sustained contribution in post-graduate education you have made over the past 25 years to the Royal Australian Air Force.”

“The fact that the RAAF/Purdue program continues today is one of the most memorable achievements of my Purdue career,” Grandt says. “Indeed, the opportunity to witness so many graduates make important contributions to the RAAF is extremely gratifying.” 

But the RAAF saw the value of this partnership beyond that specific vehicle. Though Grandt was retiring, they continued sending officers annually to study structural fatigue — advised first by Professor Tom Farris, then Professor Byron Pipes, and now Michael Sangid, the Reilly Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 

“The Australian air force is keen to continue this relationship with Purdue,” Prasad says. “Even though the problem we first started off with, which was the F-111 fatigue issue, has long gone and we’ve retired that aircraft, fatigue will always be relevant in our aircraft. And having subject matter expertise is always relevant and necessary.”

Forty years after its inception, Gandhi successfully defended his master’s thesis and became the 30th graduate from this program. 

He is returning to serve his country as a subject matter specialist in materials fatigue having studied under Sangid — a professor as renowned for his expertise as for the high standards he keeps for his students.

“The RAAF students have added tremendously to the academic, research and collegial culture in my group and within the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics,” says Sangid. “They leave Purdue with valuable experience in structural integrity and durability and are well-positioned to solve critical issues that arise in maintaining the RAAF fleet of aircrafts. I’ve been delighted to work with so many bright and professional RAAF students and look forward to continuing this partnership.”

Professor Mike Sangid fosters a collaborative and supportive culture in his research group. Students help each other out academically, professionally and socially. Left to right: Gaurav Gandhi, Taylor Hodes, Capt. John Ferguson (USAF), Brandon Mackey and Niti Prasad.

Good Vibes and High Expectations

Gandhi and Prasad viewed the Purdue program as a proud opportunity that offered more than career advancement. It was a chance to conduct meaningful work at a globally renowned research institution.

“The intent of the program is to learn and understand the state-of-the-art research in the area of structural fatigue, and hopefully contribute to the field of research,” Gandhi says. “To work un-der the guidance of Dr. Sangid as a leader in his field, and publishing meaningful research, is the main output of this program.” 

After arriving on campus, Gandhi and Prasad credited the positive atmosphere in their lab group for helping them feel welcome. The positive culture within Sangid’s lab created an environment where students were eager to help each other out academically, professionally and socially. 

Prasad and Gandhi both cherished their time at the Australian Defence Force Academy, where they completed their undergraduate engineering degrees concurrently with military training. However, years away from academia alongside the rigor of the AAE master’s program provided them with a challenge — a challenge made easier by the support they received.

“In the defense academy, we learned a lot of engineering fundamentals and graduated as officers in the Australian air force.” Prasad says. “At Purdue, I appreciated working with students and academic staff of such a high caliber. The students here graduate with an excellent level of subject matter knowledge, which is necessary because the consequence of failure in our field of aerospace materials can be catastrophic.” 

Both Prasad and Gandhi commenced postings at Australia’s military aviation authority, the Defence Aviation Safety Authority, at the completion of their studies. 

“We look forward to bringing the technical skills and expertise gained here back to the air force, with the aim of continually enhancing aviation safety,” Gandhi says. 

They also join a strong network of program graduates who stay connected through an alumni group led by Kevin Walker (MSAAE ’87) that fosters a supportive community for both current and past students.

Notable Alumni

Former Air Commodore Steve Drury (MSAAE ’89, OAE ’07)

Steven Drury served for three decades in the RAAF, com-pleting his Purdue studies during that time and enabling him to provide aircraft structural integrity support to the RAAF fleet on his return.

Drury left the air force to join BAE Systems Australia in 2010 as general manager weapons systems, leading the Nulka anti-ship missile decoy design and manufacture business, as well as contributions to the international ESSM product, hypersonics and autonomous systems.

In 2013, he became director of aerospace at BAE, supporting aircraft, helicopter and civil airline maintenance, including the Hawk lead-in fighter as well as pilot and technician training, and weapons systems. During this time, the U.S. Government awarded BAEs Aerospace business the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter support contract for the Southern Hemisphere. Drury has worked as a defense and industry consultant since 2019.

 

Former Air Commodore Terry Saunder (MSAAE ’91, OAE ’12)

Terry Saunder spent decades in the Royal Australian Air Force and Defence Australia, in appointments including chief engineer in the Defence Forces flight test establishment, to staff officer to the chief of the Defence Force. Saunder served as senior engineering officer of 77 Squadrons fleet of F/A-18 Hornets.

In 2015, Saunder became director general of Joint Strike Fighter acquisition and sustainment, leading the team chartered to deliver the F-35A, including the aircraft, training and support system, for Australia. The Joint Strike Fighter was the largest acquisition in the history of the RAAF.

In 2019, he joined Northrop Grumman Australia as director of its capture team. He is now first assistant secretary of engineering, technology and materiel logistics at Defence Australia.

 

29th and 30th Graduates

Squadron Leader Niti Prasad (MSAAE ’24)

At Purdue, Niti Prasad studied the properties of carbon-carbon composites common in high-speed and high-temperature applications. Australia has the ability to manufacture this, and we worked with Dr. Sangid to characterize how this material works in terms of its load-handling abilities after being exposed to a high-temperature environment, Prasad says.

Upon completing his military training at the Australian Defence Force Academy, with a bachelors degree in aeronautical engineering, Prasad posted to Newcastle, New South Wales, working with the F/A-18 Classic Hornets. Over the following years, he worked in structures for the PC-9/A training aircraft, later overseeing disposal of the platform; with the KC-30A air-to-air refueling tanker squadron, deploying to the Middle East and Guam; and supporting airworthiness for the KC-30A, C-17A, BBJ and Falcon F7X. Prasad has also completed a masters in project management.

 

Flight Lieutenant Gaurav Gandhi (MSAAE ‘24)

In December 2024, Gaurav Gandhi became the 30th student to complete a masters at Purdue through the RAAF partnership. His research involves analyzing the fatigue behavior of cooling channels in additively manufactured specimens of GRCop-42, a NASA-designed material for rocket combustors.

The material is becoming popular for its ability to be additively manufactured, and its beneficial properties at elevated temperatures. It was used in a recent Purdue test of a liquid-cooled rotating detonation engine.

After completing military training and a bachelors degree in engineering, and a few postings on various Royal Australian Air Force platforms, he commenced a posting at the Defence Aviation Safety Authority, Australias military aviation authority, in the Aircraft Structural Integrity section. Gandhi has also earned a masters degree in project management. He is returning to his role at DASA.

 

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