Agencies
New Delhi
The government gave its nod yesterday for women to fly fighter jets, paving the way for them to assume combat roles for the first time in one of the world’s largest militaries.
The defence ministry gave the green light to a proposal for recruiting female fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force (IAF), where women already fly transport aircraft and helicopters.
“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,” a defence ministry statement published yesterday said.
“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,” it said.
The first female fighter pilots would be selected from the batch currently undergoing flying training at the Air Force Academy and would be placed into the fighter jet track by June 2016.
They would be trained for a year and enter fighter jet cockpits in 2017, the ministry said.
The latest move not only marks the maiden entry of women in combat roles in the IAF but in any branch across the Indian armed forces.
Many countries like the US, Israel and Pakistan already allow women as fighter pilots.
But India has kept them out of such roles, reportedly fearing women would be more vulnerable to sexual attacks, and worries over lodging and physical fitness.
Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha expressed his reluctance to change tack last year when he said “women are by nature not physically suited for flying fighters for long hours”.
Since then, increasing numbers of female officers have brought court cases demanding better work conditions and permanent commissions instead of temporary terms of five to ten years.
The ministry said it had carried out a review in connection with how to increase roles of women in the forces.
“Once finalised more and more branches would be opened up for induction of women to give them the space which they deserve in the Armed Forces of the country,” it said.
Aviation expert Praful Bakshi said it was a very important milestone for India.
“The air force has always been the first while taking the women officers. It has taken the first step n putting the lady officers in combat,” Bakshi said.
“Both army and navy have the same problem but they have not overcome it... There are difficulties and problems. Many examples have been given in this regard like maternity, etc. But maternity should not be seen as a problem. It should be treated as a condition which could be overcome. Each maternity leave lasts for year-and-a-half. Get more pilots in the air force. Increase the strength and maintain the balance,” he said.
He insisted that India, unlike other countries, is not doing this for publicity and will make sure that the women pilots do fighter flying.
“The finance ministry and the defence ministry will have to work it out and increase the establishment without any bureaucratic delay,” he said.
Women form some 5% of around 1.32mn active personnel and 2.14mn reservists in the defence forces, according to government figures.
