HINDON AIR BASE (UP), Oct 8: In a first for the Indian armed forces, IAF is planning combat role for women by inducting them as fighter aircraft pilots.
“We have women pilots flying transport aircraft and helicopters. We are now planning to induct them into the fighter stream to meet the aspirations of young women in India,” IAF Chief Arup Raha said here today addressing the air warriors as the air force celebrated its 83rd anniversary.
Describing it as a “progressive step”, Air Chief Marshal Raha said he does not see any “incongruence” in women fighting in a real combat scenario.
The IAF’s proposal is with the Defence Ministry and once cleared, it will take at least three years to have a fully operational woman fighter plane pilot, he told reporters.
The plan to induct women into a fighting arm is a first in the three services which were earlier not open to the idea of women taking part in combat role.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had in May ruled out recruiting women for combat operations in the armed forces due to apprehensions about their safety but said they would be encouraged to join other operational areas with their inclusion being stepped up in phases.
Asked what steps would IAF take if a woman fighter pilot is shot down across the border, he said they “need not necessarily” go across.
“We have a lot of roles for fighter pilots or fighter aircraft within the country, especially air defence, training, qualified flying instructor. There are so many other tasks. So, if the need arises, they will also do proper combat roles. That is for the future to see. I don’t see any incongruence in women fighting it out in a real combat scenario,” he said.
IAF currently has women in seven areas of administration, logistics, meteorology, navigation, education, aeronautical engineering — mechanical and electrical — and accounts.
The air force has over 1,300 women on its rolls of which 94 are pilots and 14 navigators.
Globally, many countries like the US, Israel and Pakistan have women fighter pilots.
The move is also expected to help IAF overcome shortage of officers in the fighter aircraft stream.
“We have a lot of women officers in the air force. If you take the comparison of the three services, proportionately, the Indian Air Force has the highest number of women officers,” Raha said.
“They are performing duties in all the branches, including flying branch. We have about 110 of them flying helicopters and transport (aircraft),” he said.
He said that unlike the army and navy, the air force operates in a different environment.
“We operate from bases, so women have a good opportunity to fly fighters,” he said.
Raha said IAF has been taking up the case with the government arguing that they would like to give opportunity to young women to fly fighter planes.
“They are all capable. They have been doing well in every field. So this is an aspiration of the young Indian women and we would like go along with this because it is a progressive step. We want to progress forward,” he said.
The IAF Chief said that there are air forces in the world which have women pilots in the fighter aircraft stream. “So this is a considered decision,” he said.
Asked for a timeline on induction of women fighter pilots, he said it is their effort to see women flying fighters planes “as soon as possible”.
“We have spoken to the Ministry of Defence. Our case is in the ministry. And I think it will be sanctioned. The faster the approval comes, the faster we would be sucessful in this endeavour. I think, within one year, we would be able to give the opportunity to women and see them as fighter pilots,” he said. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel