Now Reading: Bhawana Kanth becomes India’s first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
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Bhawana Kanth becomes India’s first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first Indian woman to clear the Indian Air Force’s elite Fighter Combat Leader course, often compared with the US Navy’s ‘Top Gun’ programme. The 20-week…
The Story in Brief
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first Indian woman to clear the Indian Air Force’s elite Fighter Combat Leader course, often compared with the US Navy’s ‘Top Gun’ programme. The 20-week course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment in Gwalior trains pilots in air combat tactics, mission planning, weapons employment and electronic warfare. Only about 1% of IAF pilots are selected. Kanth, one of India’s first three women fighter pilots, previously flew daytime combat missions on a MiG-21 Bison and later transitioned to the Sukhoi Su-30MKI.
Captain Shivani Sehrawat has also become the first woman officer appointed Aide-de-Camp to the Army chief. She took charge in mid-July under General Dhiraj Seth. ADCs serve as personal staff officers to senior commanders and are selected for strong service records, discipline and knowledge of military protocol.
The Indian Opinion
The easy story is that one qualification has ended every barrier for women in uniform. That is overstated. Another lazy narrative says such milestones are symbolic and have no operational value. The FCL course involves tactics, weapons employment and frontline planning, so Kanth’s achievement carries professional weight. The fair test is whether more women gain access to advanced courses, command appointments and flying roles over the next few years, not how many celebratory headlines appear today.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
