New Delhi:8th October,2015. In an Air force Day bonanza to the growing women pilot fraternity, Air Force Chief Arup Raha announced that India will soon have women fighter pilots which will put them in combat positions in the Indian Air Force (IAF) for the first time.
This brought smiles on the faces of not only serving women officers but also on the faces of the young aspirants of the gen-next. IAF has had women flying transport aircraft and helicopters in the Air Force, but could not zoom into the skies as fighter pilots. Now they can hope to do so in the near future.
These women pilots have also flown sorties of AN-32 aircraft to the Advanced Landing Ground at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) and the Ilyushin IL-76 heavy-lift transport aircraft, referred to in the Air Force as ‘Gajraj’, in difficult sorties to Leh.
“We are now planning to induct them into the fighter stream to meet the aspirations of young women of India,” said Air Chief Marshal Raha.
With this new thought of the IAF now, the force will be at par with some of the best air forces of the world, who have women fighter pilots in sensitive assignments in tough locations.
ADU wishes these women of the future the best of luck and happy flying.
