IAF women pilots can fly fighters
In a giant leap forward, the government on Saturday approved
induction of women in fighter pilot role in the Indian Air Force (IAF) setting the tone for the Army
and the Navy to follow suit in line with the armed forces of some of the
developed countries.
"The first women pilots would be selected from the batch which
is presently undergoing flying training at Air Force Academy. After successful
completion of ab initio training, they would be commissioned in the fighter
stream in June 2016. Thereafter, they would undergo advanced training for one
year and would enter a fighter cockpit by June 2017," the ministry of
defence (MoD) said in a statement.
The government move follows IAF chief Arup Raha's announcement on
October 8 that women may be considered for combat flying roles. Subsequently,
defence minister Manohar Parrikar had a meeting with the three services
chiefs earlier this week here to take the proposal forward, sources said.
Since their induction into the transport and helicopter streams of
the IAF, the women pilots' performance has been praiseworthy and on a par with
their male counterparts, MoD further said.
The IAF currently has about 1,500 women on its rolls of which 94
are pilots and 14 navigators assigned to transport aircraft fleet.
Current roles in armed forces
The IAF presently inducts women in the Transport and Helicopter
stream of the flying branch, Navigation, Aeronautical Engineering,
Administration, Logistics, Accounts, Education and Meteorology branches.
The Army inducts women into the Signals, Engineers, Army
Aviation (Air Traffic
Control), Army Air Defence, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service
Corps, Army Ordinance Corps, Intelligence Corps, Army Education Corps and Judge
Advocate Generals Branches/Cadres.
The Indian Navy is inducting women in the Judge Advocate Generals,
Logistics, Observer, Air Traffic Controller, Naval Constructor and Education
branches/cadres.
