Now Reading: Bhawana Kanth becomes first woman to clear IAF’s Fighter Combat Leader course
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Bhawana Kanth becomes first woman to clear IAF’s Fighter Combat Leader course
Bhawana Kanth becomes first woman to clear IAF’s Fighter Combat Leader course
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first woman pilot to clear the Indian Air Force’s Fighter Combat Leader course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment in Gwalior. The demanding…
The Story in Brief
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first woman pilot to clear the Indian Air Force’s Fighter Combat Leader course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment in Gwalior. The demanding programme runs for 20 weeks, according to The Times of India, while Business Today describes it as a five-month course selected by about one in 100 IAF fighter pilots. It trains officers in advanced air combat tactics, weapons use, electronic warfare and air-to-ground operations.
Kanth was among the IAF’s first three women fighter pilots commissioned in June 2016, alongside Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh. Business Today reports that she later became the first Indian woman cleared for daytime fighter missions in a MiG-21 Bison, before moving to the Su-30 MKI. Her achievement follows recent milestones by women officers, including Squadron Leader Saanya’s Category-A Qualified Flying Instructor qualification.
The Indian Opinion
Claims that women’s induction into fighter aviation has already erased every barrier are premature. The milestones show access and training standards are widening, but a single course success cannot measure promotion, command appointments or operational deployment across the force. The opposite claim, that such achievements are symbolic rather than professional, is just as lazy: the FCL is a selective combat course, not a ceremonial badge. The next fair test is how many women reach frontline command and senior instructional posts over the coming years.
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, businesstoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
