Bhawana Kanth Fighter Combat Leader
Bihar’s Bhawana Kanth has been described as the Indian Air Force’s first woman Fighter Combat Leader (FCL). According to a report, she completed a 20-week course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior to qualify for the role.
FCL training has been described as recognition not only of fighter aircraft flying skills but also of advanced combat tactics and leadership ability. Pilots who complete the training are considered capable of leading the country in complex and important aerial operations. The report says only 1% of fighter pilots get an opportunity to attend the elite course.
Kanth joined the Indian Air Force in 2016 as the third woman fighter pilot, alongside Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh, according to the report. She entered the Air Force through the AFCAT examination after completing engineering and leaving her job at TCS.
Her first solo flight, on a MiG-21 Bison from Ambala, took place in 2018, the report says. She received approval for daytime combat missions in 2019 and was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2020.
Kanth has been linked to Baur village in Bihar’s Darbhanga district. In a statement cited in the report, she said she had dreamed of flying since childhood and would run after jets when she saw them in the sky.
A social media post dated January 21, 2021, described Kanth as the first woman fighter pilot set to take part in the Republic Day fly-past.
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