Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first woman fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) to successfully complete the prestigious Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE), the IAF’s premier air combat training institution.
Commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2016, Bhawana Kanth was among the country’s first three women fighter pilots. Since then, she has achieved several milestones, including qualifying to undertake combat missions and participating in the Republic Day flypast.
Her successful completion of the rigorous Fighter Combat Leader course marks another historic achievement and highlights the growing role of women in advanced combat operations and leadership positions within the Indian Air Force.