The Indian Air Force, one of the largest in the world joined the ranks with countries like USA, Israel, UK & Pakistan in giving the nod for Women to be inducted into the fighter (combat) stream of the IAF. The IAF first established as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire in 1932 and later its mission defined by the Armed Forces Act of 1947, Constitution of India and the Air Force act of 1950.
There are about 739 women officers in the Indian Air Force which is about 7% of the total cadre strength. If you think this is low, you would be surprised to note that the Indian Army and the Indian Navy has only 2.67 and 2.94 percent of women in their cadre. The numbers are no doubt are woefully low, however even the low numbers had given its own share of heroes. And the most celebrated among those is Ms Harita Kaur Deol, the first woman pilot to fly solo in the Indian Air Force and what more she was just 22 years old when she achieved that feat. Ms Harita Kaur story though was one that was short lived as she was one of 24 people who died when an Indian Air Force Avro Aircraft crashed near Nellore just two after she achieved her feat. While her story might have come to early halt, her legacy remains as she continues to inspire many men and women to take up Air Force as their means to serve the nation.
Women members of the Indian Air Force today broke another glass ceiling with the government approving induction of female fighter pilots, the first time when women would be in combat role in the country's armed forces.
The first women fighter pilots would be selected from the batch which is presently undergoing training at the Air Force Academy, the defence ministry said in a statement.
The news first came in with the Ministry of Defence spokesperson Sitanshu Kar
"This progressive step is in keeping with the aspirations of Indian women and is in line with contemporary trends in armed forces of developed nations," the ministry said.
It said that the performance of women, inducted into transport and helicopter streams of the IAF, has been "praiseworthy" and at par with their male colleagues.
"Inducting women into the fighter stream would provide them with an equal opportunity to prove their mettle in combat roles as well," the ministry said.
As per the plan, 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.
Presently, the Indian Army is inducting 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.
With this decision to open up induction of women in the fighter stream, women have become eligible for induction in all branches and streams of the IAF.
The IAF is presently inducting women in the Transport and Helicopter stream of the flying branch, Navigation, Aeronautical Engineering, Administration, Logistics, Accounts, Education and Meteorology branches.
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