India
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Bhawana Kanth becomes IAF's first woman combat leader
NDTV··7 Aug
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first woman to complete the Indian Air Force Fighter Combat Leader course at TACDE in Gwalior. The roughly 20-week programme trains selected pilots in advanced combat tactics. Kanth, from Darbhanga, Bihar, was among the IAF's first women fighter pilots commissioned in 2016 and now flies the Su-30 MKI.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Young people considering defence careers can see a woman pilot reach the IAF's elite tactics qualification.
- Citizens tracking women in combat roles can place this milestone after the 2016 opening of the fighter stream.
- Anyone following military training standards can note FCL remains a selective advanced course, not a ceremonial title.
What's Happening
- Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth graduated as the first woman from the IAF Fighter Combat Leader course.
- The course is run at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment in Gwalior.
- She was commissioned in 2016 in India's first batch of women fighter pilots and currently flies the Su-30 MKI.
Why The FCL Course Matters In The IAF
- TACDE trains pilots in advanced tactics, mission planning and weapons employment and is often compared to a Top Gun school.
- Kanth earlier became the first woman cleared for daytime fighter combat missions in 2019 on the MiG-21 Bison.
- Other women officers have recently posted firsts as flying instructors, showing a wider pipeline beyond one name.
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