Bhawana Kanth — First Woman Fighter Combat Leader

Key Facts

• Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth
• Became the first woman fighter pilot of IAF to complete the Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course.
• Training institution: Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE), Gwalior.
• FCL course duration: 20 weeks.
• TACDE is associated with the IAF's elite advanced combat training.
• She was commissioned in June 2016 as one of India's first three women fighter pilots, alongside Mohana Singh and Avani Chaturvedi.

Career Timeline

2016 → Commissioned into IAF
2019 → First woman fighter pilot qualified for daytime combat missions
2021 → First woman fighter pilot to participate in Republic Day parade
2024 → Flew in Republic Day flypast
2026 → First woman to complete FCL course

Prelims Fact

FCL = Fighter Combat Leader

Mains Link

GS-I / GS-III: Women empowerment, gender equality, defence modernization.