Who Is Bhawana Kanth? How a Former TCS Techie Became India's First Woman 'Top Gun' Combat Pilot
Kanth completed the 20-week elite course, which covers advanced combat tactics and mission planning, after only about 1% of IAF pilots are selected.
- This month, Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth became the first Indian woman to earn the Fighter Combat Leader title after completing the Indian Air Force's rigorous 20-week course, often compared to the Navy's 'Top Gun' program.
- Commissioned in June 2016 alongside Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh, Kanth previously qualified for daytime combat missions on the MiG-21 Bison in 2019 before transitioning to the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI.
- Only about 1% of IAF pilots are selected for this elite training at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment in Gwalior, which covers advanced air combat tactics and operational doctrines.
- This achievement marks a significant milestone for women in combat aviation nearly a decade after the fighter stream opened to female officers, equipping graduates to refine frontline strategies and support operational planning.
- Captain Shivani Sehrawat recently became the first woman Aide-de-Camp to the Army, while Squadron Leader Saanya achieved top-category qualified flying instructor status earlier this year, signaling continued gender inclusion across India's armed forces.
14 Articles
14 Articles
The Economic Times
Times of IndiaWho is Bhawana Kanth? How a former TCS techie became India's first woman 'Top Gun' combat pilot
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth earned the "Top Gun" title after completing a rigorous combat pilot course. Captain Shivani Sehrawat became the first woman officer appointed Aide-de-Camp to the Army chief. Kanth is among the first women fighter pilots commissioned into the Indian Air Force. She previously qualified for daytime combat missions on the MiG-21 Bison aircraft. These achievements mark significant progress for women in India's armed forc…
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth makes history as IAF's 1st woman 'Top Gun' pilot
Bhawana Kanth hails from Bihar's Darbhanga district and was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in June 2016 as part of the country's first batch of women fighter pilots, alongside Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh.
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth Is India's 1st Woman Fighter Combat Leader
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has completed the punishing fighter combat leader course - 20 weeks of the most advanced combat flying training the IAF offers. Only about one in 100 pilots is even chosen to attempt it
IAF's Bhawana Kanth Becomes First Woman 'Top Gun', Completes Elite Fighter Combat Leader Course
In a landmark achievement for the Indian Air Force (IAF), Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first woman fighter pilot in the country to successfully complete the prestigious Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course, earning the coveted title of a “Top Gun” combat pilot. The feat marks another significant milestone in the growing role of women in India’s combat aviation. The demanding 20-week Fighter Combat Leader course, conducted at the Ta…
Meet Bhawana Kanth: India’s First Woman 'Top Gun' Pilot
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth of the Indian Air Force (IAF) becomes the first woman fighter pilot to complete the Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior. Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment, a 20-week programme and is one of the IAF's most demanding advanced combat courses and is reserved for a select group of fighter pilots. It trains personnel in advanced comb…
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