Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has asked the three Services chiefs to formulate a detailed plan to increase the role of women officers in the armed forces — including counter-terrorism operations. The Minister’s directive came in the backdrop of IAF chief Arup Raha stating earlier this month that his force is ready to induct women officers as fighter pilots and perform combat duties. So far, women officers are not deployed in combat role in Army, Navy and IAF.
The Minister ordered for a detailed report after meeting the three chiefs earlier this week and they were also asked to note the challenges and the changes that need to be carried out including creation of infrastructure, officials said here on Thursday.
Navy chief Admiral RK Dhowan had also said recently the Navy is looking at the possibility of recruiting women as pilots of its surveillance aircraft. However, he ruled out combat role for women in the force for the time being due to Government rules.
The Army, Navy and IAF so far are reluctant to assign women combat duties due to social pressures and lack of infrastructure like separate washrooms and other critical facilities in warships and field areas. Parrikar asked the chiefs to look into this aspect too and come out with workable solutions.
Incidentally, Raha had said the proposal to induct women officers as fighter pilots was now with the Defence Ministry and if approved officers will be flying jets including SU-30, Mirage and Jaguars within next two to three years after mandatory training. At present, women fly transport planes and helicopters in the IAF.
Parrikar had recently said he was in favour of assigning roles to women in the army’s counter-terrorism operations. He had said “in principle” he was in favour of women in combat positions, but a final decision would be taken later. “I don’t see why not. We take them as equal in everything,” Parrikar had said in reply to a question adding the Services could assign them “role in counter-terrorism operations (at the borders) or even to tackle terrorists within the country.”
About the IAF proposal, Parrikar had said, “It has to be done in a phase-wise manner. It won’t happen immediately.” He added that the final notification on inducting women as fighter aircraft pilots would also take some time. He also cited that the United Arab Emirates Air Force has women fighter pilots who had carried out strikes on ISIS targets. US, UK, China and Pakistan have women flying fighter jets.