The Indian Air Force’s premier “Top Gun” school has produced its first woman graduate, with Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth successfully completing the prestigious Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior last week.
Kanth has broken the glass ceiling as only about 1 per cent of IAF pilots are selected for the FCL course at TACDE. The 20-week programme trains pilots in advanced combat tactics.
Notably, Squadron Leader Kanth was among the first three women fighter pilots commissioned into the IAF in June 2016. She was commissioned as a Flying Officer along with Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh.
The achievement comes just two months after another IAF officer, Squadron Leader Saanya, became the first woman to earn the Category-A Qualified Flying Instructor (Cat-A QFI) rating, the Air Force’s highest instructional qualification for military pilots.
Cat-A status is reserved for highly experienced instructors who are qualified to train other instructors and assess their flying skills. Earning the rating requires extensive flying experience, advanced technical and instructional expertise, and successful evaluation by senior IAF examiners.
Kanth’s FCL training exposed her and her coursemates to the changing character of modern warfare, including the growing role of unmanned systems and long-range precision-strike weapons.
TACDE is responsible for evolving tactical procedures for various aircraft, developing standard operating procedures and training pilots in operational doctrines and combat tactics. It is widely regarded as the institution that sharpens the Air Force’s operational edge.
The establishment also evaluates newly inducted fighter aircraft, radar systems and weapons platforms before drafting the standard operating procedures and aerial combat manuals used across the IAF.
Apart from the Fighter Combat Leader course, TACDE also conducts the Helicopter Combat Leader (HCL) course and the Master Fighter Controller (MFC) course. Its training framework integrates air-to-air and air-to-ground operations, electronic warfare and surface-to-air coordination.
