Saturday 10 October 2015

What Took the Indian Air Force So Long to Allow Women to Become Fighter Pilots? - Corinne Abrams

Indian Air Force women officers lead a marching contingent during the Indian Air Force Day parade at Hindon Air Force base near New Delhi, India, Oct. 8, 2015.
Manish Swarup/Associated Press
 
India’s Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha announced this week that the Indian Air Force will start allowing women to become fighter pilots.
 
News of the decision, which came on Thursday, means women pilots, who already fly helicopters and transporter aircraft for the Indian Air Force, will be able to take part in combat as well.

 “We have women flying transport aircraft and helicopters,” Air Chief Marshal Raha said at an Air Force Day function. “We are now planning to induct them into the fighter stream to meet the aspirations of young women in India.”

Many countries already allow women to be fighter pilots; Col. Jeannie Leavitt became the U.S.’s first female fighter pilot in 1993 and the U.K. wasn’t far behind in employing women fighter pilots in 1994. Pakistan welcomed Ayesha Farooq as its first qualified female fighter pilot in 2013.
In some countries that allow female pilots to fly in the air force, women have faced a backlash. Afghanistan’s first female fixed-wing military pilot, Niloofar Rahmani, who flies a plane that ferries soldiers to battle, has received threats from the Taliban.
 
India has many female commercial pilots. Its first female pilot was Sarla Thakral, who became a pilot in 1936.
 
So why did it take the Indian Air Force so long to follow suit?
 
“It was a gradual process,” said retired Indian Air Force Group Captain Ajey Lele, who is now an assistant director at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. “It was not a decision that was taken all of a sudden.”
 
The fact that women were allowed to fly helicopters and transporter planes in the Indian Air Force had strengthened the argument they should be allowed to become fighter pilots, Capt. Lele added.
 
“We have seen very competent women in the Air Force, which has boosted the confidence of the commanders,” he said.
 
Until a few years ago, most women were offered only short service commissions in the military of between five and 10 years, instead of permanent positions which ran to retirement.
 
Changes, such as giving women permanent positions, allowed the military to consider allowing women to be fighter pilots.
 
“Women are just changing from a normal speed to supersonic,” Capt. Lele said
 
 [ Blogs WSJ ]

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