The IAF will induct the first batch of women fighter jet pilots comprising three cadets on June 18 this year, IAF chief Arup Raha said here on Tuesday. At present, women pilots only fly transport planes and helicopters and do not take part in combat operations.
Announcing the induction schedule of three cadets including Mohana Singh, Avni Chaturvedi and Bhawna Kanth now undergoing training at Air Force Academy, Hakingpet, Hyderabad, Raha said these women had volunteered for combat flying.
The IAF chief said these cadets are on a par with their male colleagues and now undergoing phase two of training. Once they complete training, they will be commissioned into the IAF on June 18 alongwith other cadets, he said.
Stating that IAF had started inducting women pilots in 1991 for transport and helicopter flying, Raha also thanked Defence Minister Manohar Parrikat for giving approval to induct women as fighter pilots.
Raha made these remarks while speaking at a seminar on ‘Women in Armed Medical Corps’ organised to mark International Women’s Day here, which was also attended by Parrikar.
The Defence Ministry had cleared the proposal of inducting women as fighter pilots in October last year. Parrikar also lauded Raha’s insistence to push forward the proposal to induct women as fighter pilots.
“Though I approved and support the proposal, it was he who was consistently pushing the file to the MoD (Ministry of Defence) level,” he said.
The three cadets did their basic flying on Pilatus trainer aircraft and graduated to training on Kiran jets meant for initial fighter flying. After getting commissioned into the IAF as officers, these women pilots like their male counterparts will then shift to real combat training on Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers(AJT) aircraft. The women pilots put in the mandatory 55 hours of flying on Pilatus basic plane before graduating to Kirans where they will have to clock the mandatory 87 hours before flying 145 hours on Hawks. If successful, they will be full-fledged combat pilots, officials said.