# Bhawana Kanth becomes India’s first woman Fighter Combat Leader 2026-08-06T21:40:10+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first Indian woman to complete the Indian Air Force’s 20-week Fighter Combat Leader course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment in Gwalior. The demanding programme trains selected fighter pilots in air combat tactics, mission planning, weapons employment and operational leadership. Kanth, from Darbhanga, was commissioned in 2016 in the first batch of India’s women fighter pilots. She earlier became the first Indian woman cleared for daytime fighter missions in 2019, flying the MiG-21 Bison before moving to the Su-30 MKI. The Times of India also reports that Captain Shivani Sehrawat is the first woman officer appointed aide-de-camp to the Army chief. She took charge in July under General Dhiraj Seth. An ADC serves as a senior commander’s personal staff officer and is selected for service record, discipline and knowledge of military protocol. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com - indiatoday.in Tags: fighter pilots, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, women in defence Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bhawana-kanth-becomes-indias-first-woman-top-gun-pilot/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bhawana-kanth-becomes-indias-first-woman-top-gun-pilot/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.