India's first woman Fighter Combat Leader: Who is Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth?

Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first woman officer in the Indian Air Force (IAF) to successfully complete the prestigious Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course, marking another milestone for women in frontline combat aviation.

Kanth is now India’s first woman “Top Gun” combat pilot and the country’s first woman Fighter Combat Leader, according to a Times of India report.

Fighter pilots who earn the FCL qualification are trained to lead complex air combat missions and develop operational tactics, according to the IAF.

What is the Fighter Combat Leader course?

The FCL course is among the IAF’s most demanding advanced training programmes for fighter pilots. It is conducted at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior, the IAF’s premier institution for advanced fighter combat training.

Pilots undergoing the course receive training in advanced air combat planning, tactical leadership and mission execution. Those who complete it are qualified to lead fighter formations during operations and contribute to the development of aerial combat tactics.

Who is Bhawana Kanth?

Kanth is an IAF officer from Bihar’s Darbhanga district and is currently serving as a Squadron Leader.

She completed her schooling at DAV Public School, Barauni, before earning a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Electronics from BMS College of Engineering in Bengaluru. After graduating in 2014, she worked at TCS before joining the IAF.

Kanth was commissioned into the IAF in June 2016 as part of the first batch of women inducted into the fighter stream after women were allowed to join the branch on an experimental basis.

She was commissioned alongside Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh, who went on to become part of India’s first trio of women fighter pilots.

Kanth’s earlier milestones

Kanth underwent advanced fighter training before being posted to a frontline squadron flying the MiG-21 Bison.

In March 2018, she became one of the first Indian women to undertake a solo flight in a MiG-21 Bison. In May 2019, she became the first woman fighter pilot in India to qualify for combat missions on the aircraft after completing the operational syllabus.

In 2021, Kanth became the first woman fighter pilot to participate in the IAF tableau during the Republic Day parade.

Kanth, along with Chaturvedi and Singh, received the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2020 for their pioneering contribution to women in military aviation.

Her completion of the FCL course marks another step in the integration of women into frontline combat and leadership roles within the IAF.