Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first woman officer in the Indian Air Force (IAF) to successfully complete the prestigious Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course.
By completing the course, Kanth has become India's first woman "Top Gun" combat pilot and the country's first woman Fighter Combat Leader, the Times of India reported.
According to the Indian Air Force, the fighter pilots who are awarded this qualification are trained to lead complex air combat missions and develop operational tactics.
The Fighter Combat Leader course is conducted at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior, the IAF's premier institution for advanced fighter combat training.
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What is the Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) Course?
The FCL course is one of IAF's most demanding advance training programmes for fighter pilots, designed to prepare them to lead complex air combat missions and develop aerial combat tactics, the Times of India reported.
Pilots who complete the course are trained in advanced air combat planning, tactical leadership, and mission execution, making them qualified to lead fighter formations during operations.
Who is Bhawana Kanth?
Bhawana Kanth is an IAF officer from the Darbhanga district in Bihar and is currently serving as a Squadron Leader. She completed her schooling at DAV Public School, Barauni, and later earned a Bachelor's degree in Medical Electronics from BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru. Before joining the IAF, Kanth worked at TCS after graduating in 2014.
Kanth was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in June 2016 as part of the first batch of women inducted into the fighter stream after the government opened the branch to women on an experimental basis. She was commissioned alongside Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh, who became India's first three women fighter pilots.
She underwent advanced fighter training before being posted to a frontline fighter squadron flying the MiG-21 Bison aircraft.
Previous Milestones
In March 2018, Bhawana Kanth became on of the first Indian women to undertake a solo flight in a MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft. In May 2019, she became the first woman fighter pilot in India to qualify for combat missions on the MiG-21 Bison after completing the operational syllabus. She later became the first woman fighter pilot to participate in the Indian Air Force tableau during the Republic Day parade in 2021.
Kanth, along with Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh, received the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2020 for their pioneering contribution to women in military aviation.
TOI reported that Kanth's successful completion of the Fighter Combat Leader Course marks another milestone in the increasing integration of women into frontline combat and leadership roles within the IAF.
The achievement is seen as breaking another glass ceiling in the IAF because the Fighter Combat Leader qualification is reserved for highly experienced fighter pilots capable of leading combat operations and shaping aerial tactics, the Tribune reported.
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