NEW DELHI: Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has made history by successfully clearing the toughest Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course, making her the first Indian woman to earn the title of ‘Top Gun’ combat pilot. In another example of women breaking the glass ceiling, Captain Shivani Sehrawat has become the first woman officer to be appointed Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the Army chief.Commissioned in June 2016 as one of the first three women fighter pilots, along with Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh, Sq Ldr Bhawana Kanth successfully cleared the rigorous 20-week elite FCL course at Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment in Gwalior this month. The FCL course is often likened to the US Navy’s renowned “Top Gun” programme as only about 1% of all IAF pilots are selected to join this prestigious course. This accomplishment symbolises a landmark achievement for women in combat aviation nearly a decade after the fighter stream was officially opened to them.Graduates of the course emerge as specialists who help refine combat tactics, facilitate operational planning, manage weapons employment and develop frontline strategies. Participants are trained in advanced air combat tactics, operational doctrines, mission planning and electronic warfare, as well as addressing contemporary challenges, such as the integration of unmanned systems and network-centric operations.Before the ‘Top Gun’ course, Sq Ldr Kanth in May 2019 became the first female fighter pilot to qualify for daytime combat missions on a MiG-21 Bison. She subsequently transitioned to piloting the advanced multi-role Sukhoi Su-30 MKI frontline fighter.Born on Dec 1, 1992, in Bihar’s Darbhanga, Kanth completed her education at Barauni Refinery DAV Public School and earned a BE in medical electronics from BMS College of Engineering in Bengaluru. She briefly worked for TCS before pursuing a career in the IAF. Sq Ldr Kanth also received the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar on March 8, 2020.In May, another woman pilot, Sq Ldr Saanya, became the first woman officer to achieve the top-category qualified flying instructor position in IAF.In the Army, Captain Sehrawat, by becoming the first woman officer to be appointed ADC to the Army chief, marked a key milestone in the force’s journey towards greater gender inclusion. She took charge as ADC in mid-July and has started serving under new Army chief General Dhiraj Seth.An ADC is a specially selected commissioned officer who serves as the personal staff officer to a senior military commander or constitutional authority. ADCs are chosen from among officers with exemplary service records, exceptional discipline and a thorough understanding of military protocol.
