The Indian Air Force will commission three women fighter pilots in December, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa announced in New Delhi today.
Though women have been part of the Indian Air Force, yet the combat roles were still off limit.
This would change in December when Bhawana Kanth, Mohana Singh and Avani Chaturvedi join the Sukhoi squadron.
Currently undergoing training on British Hawk advanced jet trainers at an IAF facility at Kalaikunda in West Bengal, these flying officers will pave way for women's participation in combat roles.
Though in India, it may have taken more than 7 decades for women to break the barrier, the situation is different else where in the world.
Sabiha Gokcen of Turkey was the first women fighter pilot ever in 1936. USSR had fighter pilots in WW II and Lilya Litvyak became an ‘Ace’ with 12 aerial kills.
However, the real thrust for women becoming fighter pilots took place in the 1990s when all Western Air Forces inducted fighter pilots to fly high ‘G’ modern jet fighters. In 1989, Canada was first to induct fighter pilots. Jeannie Leavit of USA flew 300 combat hours in Iraq.
Even our neighbours Pakistan and China had the women fighter pilots years before us.
China had its first batch of six women fighter pilots in 2013, and Ayesha Farooq became Pakistan’s first fighter pilot, also in 2013.
