Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth from the Indian Air Force (IAF) has now become the first woman fighter pilot to successfully complete the elite Fighter Combat Course at TACDE, becoming India’s first female ‘Top Gun’ pilot. Keep reading to know how an engineering graduate now has one of the most prestigious titles in the IAF!
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth Becomes India’s 1st Female ‘Top Gun’
Hailing from Bihar’s Darbhanga district, Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth is an engineering graduate who, with her sheer hard work and passion, has become India’s first female ‘Top Gun’. According to India Today, she completed the prestigious Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior.
This 20-week programme is considered one of the Indian Air Force’s most demanding advanced courses and is reserved for a select group of fighter pilots. Completion of this course allows pilots to lead complex air combat missions and become part of the IAF’s frontline combat tacticians. This is why it is such a great achievement for Bhawana Kanth. You would like to know that TACDE is often compared to the US Navy’s ‘Top Gun’. It is officially called the Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Programme that trains personnel in combat tactics, mission planning and more.
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Growing Role Of Women In IAF’S Combat Stream
But this is not the first achievement for this engineering graduate. According to India Today, Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth was commissioned into the IAF in June 2016 as part of India’s first batch of women fighter pilots. In 2019, she became the first Indian woman cleared to undertake daytime fighter combat missions.
At first, she flew the MiG-21 Bison before transitioning to the Su-30 MKI. In 2021, Bhawana also became the first woman fighter pilot to participate in the Republic Day Parade. She also flew in the Republic Day flypast in 2024. Her latest achievement definitely shows the growing role of women in the IAF’s combat stream. And yes, we are so happy for her!
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has definitely made history for India!
Cover Image Courtesy: @AdhirSinha/X